Select Committee Business

From 25 August to 1 September 2000

Committee meetings

There were two select committee meetings in the parliamentary complex this week, and one in Auckland. The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Subcommittee conducted a site visit to East Timor.

Report presented

Local Government and Environment
 Final report on 2000/01 Estimates for Vote Conservation

Bills referred to select committees

No bills were referred.

Committee notes
(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics)

Commerce (Alan Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee will meet on 7 September to consider the Commerce Amendment Bill and the Business Law Reform Bill.

Education and Science (Claire Sullivan, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)
On 7 and 8 September the subcommittee on the inquiry into reading in New Zealand will hear evidence in Auckland and will visit primary schools in West Auckland.

Finance and Expenditure (Graham Hill, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)
On 6 September the committee will receive a briefing from a delegation from the United Kingdom, consider further the Taxation (Annual Rates, GST and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and hear evidence on the Public Audit Bill.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)
A subcommittee has been conducting a site visit to East Timor this week. Next week, the committee will meet the visiting United Kingdom parliamentary delegation and will receive briefings on the role of human rights in foreign policy and on New Zealand’s economic and trade relationship with Australia.

Government Administration (Fiona McLean, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee did not meet this week. Next week the committee will meet to continue its consideration of the Gaming Law Reform Bill, the Casino Control (Poll Demand) Amendment Bill and the Films, Videos and Publications Classification (Prohibition of Child Pornography) Amendment Bill.

Health (Nick Aldous, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)
The House has referred the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Bill to the committee with an instruction to report it back to the House by 14 November 2000. A closing date of 22 September has been set for submissions on the bill, an electronic copy of which can be found at:
http://www.gp.co.nz/wooc/bills/public-health/health.html

Justice and Electoral (Tracey Conlon, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee will meet in the morning and afternoon of 6 September to consider the Legal Services Bill, the inquiry into the 1999 General Election, and the Matrimonial Property Amendment Bill and related Supplementary Order Paper No 25.

Law and Order (Wendy Proffitt, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)
There was no meeting this week. Next week the committee will hear evidence from the Law Commission on the Habeas Corpus Bill.

Local Government and Environment (David Bagnall, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee presented its final report on Vote Conservation. The committee’s previous report on Vote Conservation was presented on Monday 14 August, the date by which committees were required to complete their consideration of this year’s Estimates. In that report, the committee recommended that Vote Conservation be referred back for further consideration, and the House did refer the vote back on 16 August. The committee has now received further information from the Department of Conservation, and has considered the vote in light of this information.

In the report, the committee emphasises that its previous recommendation that Vote Conservation be referred back for further consideration was not itself a signal of any disapproval of the increase in the vote. The committee does indeed support the provision of further funding for the department’s important efforts to preserve and promote indigenous biodiversity. Its primary interest is in ensuring that sufficient information is provided about what outcomes are expected for the money, and that targets are set out against which the department’s performance can be assessed.

The main focus of the committee’s examination was on the department’s non-financial service performance targets and ways to measure progress towards conservation outcomes. The committee concluded that the health of ecosystems is a particularly difficult outcome to measure, requiring detailed scientific knowledge of both states and processes. The committee recognises that it is setting a high standard for the department to meet in pressing it to report on outcomes rather than just work completed. The committee is confident that the department’s ongoing efforts to meet its expectations will be worthwhile and will lead both to better accountability and to better protection and enhancement of our biodiversity.

Next week, the committee meets on 6 September to consider the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment Bill (No 2) and to hear the submission of the New Zealand Archaeological Association on the Resource Management Amendment Bill. On 7 September a subcommittee will hear submissions on the Resource Management Amendment Bill and Resource Management (Costs) Amendment Bill.

Mori Affairs (Kia Paranihi, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee meets on 7 September to look at the Te Ture Whenua Maori Amendment Bill.

MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee has decided to engage UMR Insight Limited to conduct collection and analysis of polling data on its behalf. The committee has commissioned UMR Insight to test public perceptions and attitudes to the electoral system and other matters associated with its review of MMP. It is intended that this research go beyond the testing of public knowledge of MMP and how it works to examine issues arising from the committee’s terms of reference. The first (qualitative) stage of this work is due to commence in September with focus group interviews. The quantitative stage is scheduled for December.

Officers of Parliament (Adrian Carpinter, SC-OP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee will meet next week to consider the budget of the Office of the Ombudsmen for investigation and resolution of complaints about government administration. The committee will also look at the budget of the Audit Office for an information technology capital proposal, as well as the code of practice for the provision of assistance by the Controller and Auditor-General to select committees and members of Parliament.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met at the Centra Airport Hotel in Auckland on Thursday, 31 August 2000 to hear 20 submissions on its inquiry into organic agriculture in New Zealand. Witnesses from the following organisations were heard: Marphona Farms, Plant Plasma Industries, New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, Te Hapu Kahu Paake, The Soil and Health Association of New Zealand Inc, Organic Dairy Producers Group, Maungakaramea Ratepayers Association and New Zealand Landcare, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Raratu Farming Partnership, Kerikeri Organic, New Zealand Fertiliser Manufacturer’s Research Association Inc, and Sieber Fertilisers.

Next week the committee will be travelling to Palmerston North to hear further evidence on the inquiry (7 September 2000).

Regulations Review (Shelley Banks, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )
The committee will meet on 6 September to continue its on-going scrutiny of regulations.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee did not meet this week. On Wednesday 6 September the committee is making a site visit to the Transmission Gully area as part of its consideration of three petitions that request the construction of the Transmission Gully road.

Closing dates for submissions on bills
Committees are receiving submission on the following bills with the closing date shown:

Committees are receiving submission on the following bills with the closing date shown:

Commerce
Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill (27 October 2000)
Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) No 37 relating to the Commerce Amendment Bill (15 September 2000)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Extension Bill (2 October 2000)

Government Administration
Casino Control (Poll Demand) Amendment Bill (23 September 2000)

Health
New Zealand Public Health and Disability Bill (22 September 2000)

Justice and Electoral
Local Elections (Single Transferable Vote Option) Bill (1 September 2000)

Local Government and Environment
Tauranga District Council (Route K Toll) Empowering Bill (1 September 2000)

Primary Production
Foreign Fishing Crew Wages and Repatriation Bond Bill (4 September 2000)

Social Services
Children, Young Persons and Their Families Amendment Bill (No 3) (20 October 2000)
Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill (8 September 2000)

General
A compendium of reports of select committees on the 1998/99 financial reviews of Crown entities, public organisations and State enterprises is now available from Bennetts Government Bookshops. The shoulder number is I. 21A.

You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact:

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