Questions for Oral Answer - 28 July 2010

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Does he agree with his Minister of Economic Development’s statement yesterday that the current weekly income gap between New Zealand and Australian full-time workers “is certainly a lot less than it was when Labour was in office”?

2. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s concerns, in relation to foreign ownership of New Zealand land, that “that there is so much wealth out there that they could literally buy New Zealand’s productive base”; if so, will he be tightening current foreign ownership rules around the sale of land?

3. TODD McCLAY to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received showing progress in turning around the New Zealand economy?

4. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all his recent statements on foreign direct investment?

5. PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA to the Minister of Transport: What progress has been made on the Western Ring Route Road of National Significance?

6. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister for Economic Development: What was the gap, expressed in New Zealand dollars, between the average gross weekly wage or salary paid to an adult full-time worker in Australia compared with New Zealand in December 2008, and what was the gap in March 2010?

7. RAHUI KATENE to the Minister of Justice: Will the Government adopt a zero tolerance to liquor outlets selling to underage minors, in line with the zero tolerance policy they intend to adopt towards youth drink drivers; if not, why not?

8. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement about the student loan scheme that “economically, it doesn’t really stack up”; if so, what if anything, is he going to do to make the scheme “stack up”?

9. SHANE ARDERN to the Minister of Customs: What reports has he received on seizures of pure methamphetamine at the border?

10. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by her statement in relation to the proposed sick leave changes, “we do not insist on unreasonable grounds for anything”; and if so, does she understand the difference between insisting on and allowing unreasonable grounds?

11. KEVIN HAGUE to the Associate Minister of Health: What advice has she received about the cost to New Zealand of rheumatic fever for which New Zealand has rates 14 times the OECD average?

12. CHRIS TREMAIN to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What recent announcements has the Government made about support for regional museums?

ENDS