From 2 to 6 December 2013

Committee meetings

There were 15 committee meetings, one in Auckland and 14 in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Commerce Committee

• Petition 2008/134 of Allen Hair and 236 others

Education and Science Committee

• 2012/13 financial review of the Education Review Office

• 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Education

• 2012/13 financial review of non-departmental appropriations for Vote Education and Vote Science and Innovation

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee

• 2012/13 financial review of the New Zealand Customs Service

• Briefing from the Ambassador of Georgia

Health Committee

• Briefing on Health Workforce New Zealand work programme

• Briefing on New Zealand Health Innovation Hub

• Briefing on the External Review of Maternity Care in the Counties Manukau District

• Petition 2011/69 of Ravi Vas Vahora

Law and Order Committee

• Petition 2011/24 of Tracey Marceau on behalf of Christie's Law Group and 58,000 others

Local Government and Environment Committee

• Petition 2011/32 of Simon Boxer on behalf of Greenpeace New Zealand

Primary Production Committee

• Briefing from the grain and seed industry

• Briefing on the 2013 Balance Farm Environment Awards

Privileges Committee

• Interim report on Question of privilege regarding use of intrusive powers within the parliamentary precinct (I.17B)

Transport and Industrial Relations Committee

• 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Transport and non-departmental appropriations for Vote Transport

• Petition 2011/56 of Henry Work on behalf of the Committee of International Retirees

• Petition 2011/42 of R E Hill

• Petition 2011/70 of Suzanne Hubball

Bills referred to select committees

Justice and Electoral

• Harmful Digital Communications Bill (168-1)

• Judicature Modernisation Bill (178-1)

Local Government and Environment

• Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 3) (165-1)

Transport and Industrial Relations

• Land Transport Amendment Bill (175-1)

Committee notes

Commerce

The committee met on 2 December at the Novotel Auckland Airport to hear evidence on the Credit Contracts and Financial Services Law Reform Bill. The committee also met on 5 December to consider the Credit Contracts and Financial Services Law Reform Bill, consider the Construction Contracts Amendment Bill, consider the petition of Allen Hair and 236 others, and consider and hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The committee is likely to next meet on 30 January 2014 to consider the 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and consider the Credit Contracts and Financial Services Law Reform Bill.

Education and Science

This week, the committee met on 4 December to hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial reviews of Callagahn Innovation, and consider the 2012/13 financial reviews of the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office, non-departmental appropriations for Vote Education and Vote Science and Innovation, Careers New Zealand, and Education New Zealand. The committee also considered the petition of Judy Taligalu McFall-McCaffery and John McCaffery and 6686 others, and the Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill.

The committee is not expected to meet again this year.

Finance and Expenditure

The committee met on 4 December 2013 when it heard evidence on and considered the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the year ended 30 June 2013 and the 2012/13 financial review of The Treasury.

The committee also heard evidence on and considered the 2012/13 financial reviews of Inland Revenue Department and the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General.

The committee also considered the report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Regional services planning in the health sector.

The committee will next meet on 12 December when it will consider the report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Immigration New Zealand: Supporting new immigrants to settle and work; the report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme; and the report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Summary: Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme.

The committee will also consider the 2012/13 financial review of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Financial Stability Report, November 2013.

The committee will also hear evidence from the Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Statement, December 2013.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

This week the committee heard evidence on the 2012/13 financial reviews of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the non-departmental appropriation for Vote Official Development Assistance, and the international treaty examination of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. The committee also considered the international treaty examination of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the 2012/13 financial reviews of the New Zealand Customs Service, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence, and the briefing of the Georgian Ambassador.

Government Administration

The committee did not meet this week.

The committee is not meeting next week.

Health

The committee met on 4 December, when it heard evidence on the 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Health, the 2012/13 financial review of the Non departmental appropriations for Vote Health and the petition of William Joseph Rea and 1053 others. It further considered the petition of Ravi Vas Vohora, the Briefing on the New Zealand Health Innovation Hub, the Briefing on Health Workforce New Zealand work programme, the Briefing on the External Review of Maternity Care in the Counties Manukau District, the 2012/13 financial review of the Health Promotion Agency, the petition of Rae Reynolds and 276 others and the petition of Dr Lynley Hood and Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson. The committee also considered the 2012/13 financial review of the Health and Disability Commissioner, the 2012/13 financial review of the Health Quality and Safety Commission, the petition of Cynthia Bowers and 1035 others, the petition of Sym Gardiner, and the petition of Neil Pluck on behalf of the Rakaia Community Association.

The committee will next meet on 29 January 2014.

Justice and Electoral

This week the committee met on 5 December to hear evidence on the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Bill and to further consider the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The committee will next meet on 10 December when it will further consider the Electoral Amendment Bill.

Law and Order

The committee met on 4 December to hear evidence on the 2012/13 Financial Review of the Serious Fraud Office and to a further submission on the Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Bill.

The committee will meet on 11 December to hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial review of the Department of Corrections and the New Zealand Police, and to consider the Victim’s Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill.

Local Government and Environment

The committee met on 5 December to hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial review of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. It also considered the briefing on the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme and other related matters, the briefing from the Ministry for the Environment on the management of contaminated sites, the 2012/13 financial review of the Environmental Protection Authority, the 2012/13 financial review of the New Zealand Walking Access Commission, the petition of Christine Toms, the petition of Simon Boxer on behalf of Greenpeace New Zealand, petitions 2011/0015 and 2011/0016 of Christine Rose, and the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 3).

The committee will not be meeting next week.

Māori Affairs

The committee met on 4 December to consider the briefing from the Commissioner of Police regarding Police Operation Eight, the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Bill, the Ngā Punawai o Te Tokotoru Claims Settlement Bill, the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū Claims Settlement Bill. The committee also considered the 2012/12 financial review of the non-departmental appropriations for Vote Treaty Negotiations and heard evidence on the petition of Edward Penetito from the petitioner and the Office of Treaty Settlements.

The committee will be meeting next week to consider the 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Maori Development and non-departmental appropriations for Vote Maori Affairs, and the inquiry into determinants of wellbeing for tamariki Māori.

Primary Production

The committee met on 5 December when it heard evidence on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, and on the 2012/13 financial reviews of the Ministry for Primary Industries and Land Information New Zealand.

The committee is not expected to meet again this year.

Privileges

The committee did not meet this week.

The committee is not meeting next week.

Regulations Review

The committee met on 5 December to hear evidence from one of the complainants and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on the complaint regarding the Canterbury Earthquake (Building Act) Order 2011, and to hear evidence from one of the complainants and the Ministry of Transport on the complaint regarding the Civil Aviation Charges Regulations (No 2) 1991 Amendment Regulations 2012.

The committee will next meet on 30 January to consider the complaint regarding the New Zealand (Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code) Food Standards 2002, Amendment No 53, and the complaint regarding the Legal Services Regulations (payment for legal aid work) 2011. The committee will continue its scrutiny of various statutory and deemed regulations.

Social Services

The committee met on 4 December to consider the Social Security (Fraud Measures and Debt Recovery) Amendment Bill, the Vulnerable Children Bill, its inquiries into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services and boarding houses in New Zealand, and to consider and hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial review of the Ministry of Social Development, and the non-departmental appropriations for Vote Social Development. The meeting was open to the public during the hearing of evidence. Senior officials from the Ministry of Social Development, including Brendan Boyle, Chief Executive, appeared before the committee on both financial reviews.

The committee will next meet on 11 December to consider the 2012/13 financial review of the Families Commission, the Retirement Commissioner, and the Children’s Commission, as well as its inquiry into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services. The committee will then hear evidence on the Veterans’ Support Bill. The meeting will be open to the public from 9.00am – 1.00pm.

Standing Orders

The committee did not meet this week.

The committee is not meeting next week.

Transport and Industrial Relations

The committee met on 5 December to hear evidence on the 2012/13 financial reviews of the ACC and the New Zealand Transport Agency, and the Summary Offences (Possession of Hand-held Lasers) Amendment Bill. The committee also considered the Employment Relations Bill, the Land Transport and Road User Charges Legislation Amendment Bill, the Land Transport (Admissibility of Evidential Breath Tests) Amendment Bill; and the petitions of R E Hill, Henry Work and the Committee of International Retirees, and Suzanne Hubball.

The committee will not be meeting next week.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Education and Science

• Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill (19 December 2013)

• Inquiry into engaging parents in the education of their children (19 December 2013)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• International treaty examination of the Minamata Convention on Mercury (21 January 2014)

Justice and Electoral

• Human Rights Amendment Bill (19 December 2013)

• Inquiry into the 2013 local elections (20 December 2013)

• Harmful Digital Communications Bill (22 January 2014)

• Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill (22 January 2014)

Local Government and Environment

• Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 3) (14 February 2014)

Transport and Industrial Relations

• Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2) (7 February 2014)

• Land Transport Amendment Bill (14 February 2014)

Law and Order

• Parole Amendment Bill (17 January 2014)

Submissions can be made online

General

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 6 December 2013

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