QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. KATRINA SHANKS to the Minister of Finance: How is the Government’s economic programme helping New Zealand families by increasing savings, keeping interest rates low and minimising cost of living pressures?

2. DAVID SHEARER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on jobs and employment?

3. TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for Social Development: What announcements have been made as part of the Government’s White Paper for Vulnerable Children to take stronger action against child abusers?

4. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement “What we do environmentally matters a great deal, but we also want jobs and we also want to make sure we’re not prioritising that over everything else. I think we’ve got that balance about right”?

5. JONATHAN YOUNG to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What recent announcement has been made about Block Offer 2013?

6. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: Was the Prime Minister correct when he said on 12 October 2012 that “our unemployment rate’s not rising”; if so, why?

7. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement in September 2010 that “there is no doubt that unemployment has peaked”?

8. TODD McCLAY to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: What steps is he taking to ensure the environmental integrity of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme?

9. JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement that “the Government is taking an active, work-based approach” to her welfare reforms?

10. BARBARA STEWART to the Minister of Health: Is he satisfied that District Health Boards have done enough to promote understanding of the Pharmacy Services Agreement?

11. Dr JACKIE BLUE to the Minister of Health: What is the Government doing to promote awareness and support those with hepatitis C?

12. Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Has he received any advice on the impact on New Zealand trade resulting from his decision not to sign up to the Second Commitment Period under the Kyoto Protocol; if so, what was it?

ENDS

© Scoop Media

World Refugee Day:
Are We Doing Our Bit?

On World Refugee Day, Thursday June 20th, Doing Our Bit will officially launch a campaign to double New Zealand’s UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Quota...

New Zealand’s low refugee intake is not a new issue. In February a NZ Herald editorial commented that our intake was ‘paltry’, remarking that ‘surely we could do more’. In April, Amnesty International described the quota as ‘tiny'.

“Despite being a small country in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand prides itself on being hospitable. We are friendly to overseas visitors and we see ourselves as punching above our weight in international affairs,” said Murdoch Stephens, coordinator of Doing Our Bit.

“However, in terms of accepting refugees New Zealand is clearly not doing our share.” More>>