Questions For Oral Answer Tuesday, 7 September 1999

Today's questions for oral answer include several on the worsening situation in East Timor. Scoop will post paraphrased answers to the questions following question time in the Headlines wire.

Question 1.

Dr Wayne Mapp to the Minister of Conservation:

Q: Will the proposed Hauraki Gulf Marine Park be finalised in time for New Zealand's hosting of the America's Cup?

Question 2.

Rt Hon. Helen Clark to the Prime Minister:

Q: Will she, as chair of the APEC Leaders' Meeting, ensure that resolution of the crisis in East Timor is placed on the formal agenda of the meeting; if not, why not?

Question 3.

Hon. Richard Prebble to the Minister for Enterprise and Commerce:

Q: Has the Government received any requests for the Employment Contracts Act 1991 to be scrapped in favour of a system that gives trade unions monopoly rights; if so, has the Government any plans to adopt such a policy?

Question 4.

Ron Mark to the Minister of Corrections:

Q: What security consultants were recently involved in the awarding of contracts with respect to Mount Eden Prison perimeter control and other prisons, and who were the successful tenderers?

Question 5.

Hon. Phil Goff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade:

Q: What are the details of any action he has taken to promote multilateral action, such as financial, trade, military, and political sanctions against Indonesia, in order to force Indonesia to stop the slaughter of people in East Timor; if he has taken no action, why not?

Question 6.

Jim Anderton to the Prime Minister:

Q: How can she welcome the President of Indonesia to the APEC Leaders' Meeting when the Indonesian Government and armed forces under his leadership have allowed the brutal actions of the armed militia in East Timor which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of East Timorese and grave threats to the lives of representatives, including New Zealanders, of the United Nations assistance mission in East Timor?

Question 7.

Tukoroirangi Morgan to the Minister of Police:

Q: What reports has he received regarding an incident in 1997 of illegal bugging, and what do those reports say?

Question 8.

Steve Maharey to the Minister of Social Services, Work and Income:

Q: Is it the Government's policy that at-risk youths continue to be placed in the care of gang members with criminal records; if not, will he instruct the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Agency to change its policy?

Question 9.

Matt Robson to the Minister of Defence:

Q: Will he cancel the military assistance programme this country has with Indonesia as a result of the role the Indonesian military forces are presently playing in East Timor; if not, why not?

Question 10.

Paul Swain to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises:

Q: Is it Government policy to sell one or more of the "baby ECNZs" at any time in the future; if so, which ones?

Question 11.

Belinda Vernon to the Treasurer:

Q: What economic evidence has he received indicating that the number of new jobs created will increase over the next three years?

Question 12.

Geoff Braybrooke to the Minister of Defence:

Q: Following the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee's report questioning the wisdom of the lease of the F-16s, can he guarantee that, since the signing of the lease arrangement, he has not entered into and will not enter into any further contracts relating to that lease prior to the general election; if not, why not?

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>