QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Prime Minister: Did Hon Kate Wilkinson have Ministerial responsibility for the departmental errors during her term as Minister of Labour which partially contributed to the deaths of 29 miners at Pike River?

2. TODD McCLAY to the Minister of Finance: What steps is the Government taking to support jobs as part of its programme to build a more productive and competitive economy?

3. RICHARD PROSSER to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he have confidence in the Director-General of the Ministry for Primary Industries?

4. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister of Finance: What are the estimated costs to the taxpayer resulting from the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill?

5. JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by all her statements relating to the departure of the Ministry of Social Development Deputy Chief Executive, Janet Grossman?

6. SIMON O'CONNOR to the Minister of Science and Innovation: How is the Government using science to address some of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand?

7. PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Transport: What assurances did Hon Steven Joyce give Snapper CEO Miki Szikszai in relation to Snapper’s participation in the Auckland integrated ticketing arrangement when they met on 3 March 2012?

8. IAN McKELVIE to the Minister of Justice: What is the Government doing to further protect victims from their attackers?

9. CLARE CURRAN to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology: What percentage of New Zealand homes did the Government commit in 2008 would be connected to Ultra Fast Broadband within 10 years?

10. SHANE ARDERN to the Minister of Health: What progress is the Government making on improving the regulation of natural health products?

11. KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Health: Does he regard the input and engagement of clinicians and the public to be critical to the achievement of his targets for DHB performance?

12. TRACEY MARTIN to the Minister of Education: Is she satisfied with the way schools are funded?

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>