Parliament 20th Feburary 2012
Questions for Oral Answer – 2pm to 3pm
Questions to Ministers.
- TODD McCLAY to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the Government’s financial position?
- DAVID SHEARER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?
- METIRIA TUREI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his reported statement that “anyone expecting details of a ‘cosy sort of little deal’ would be disappointed” by the Deputy Auditor-General’s report into the SkyCity Convention Centre negotiations.
- DENIS O’ROURKE to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: What criteria did he use in deciding that owners of vacant sections in the red zone of Christchurch should only be compensated at half of the sections’ most recent rateable value?
- KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI to the Minister for Economic Development: What economic opportunities will a new convention centre bring for Auckland?
- Hon DAVID PARKER to the Prime Minister: Did he or his office receive the 12 November 2009 report from Ministry officials to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, summarising the process with SkyCity for the building of a convention centre; if so, did he read it?
- MIKE SABIN to the Associate Minister for Social Development: What steps is the Government taking to reduce welfare fraud?
- Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: What contingency plans, if any, does the Government have in place regarding its asset sale programme should the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter reduce production?
- KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Trade: Will New Zealand support Australia’s objection to signing up to investor-state dispute provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement; if not, why not?
- Hon LIANNE DALZIEL to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Why is he offering only 50 percent of rating valuation for commercial or bare land in the residential red zone where the land could not be insured?
- MARK MITCHELL to the Minister of Corrections: What announcements has she made on improving prisoner employment training in New Zealand prisons?
- CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her decisions in relation to schools in Christchurch?
Today there is 5 questions being asked by Labour with questions relating to Sky City Convention Centre, Assest Sales, Canterbury Earthquake recovery and the clossure of schools in Christchurch. In addition, the Greens are also asking about the Sky City Convention Centre mainly in relation to the report by the Deputy Auditor-General and are asking about the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
New Zealand First are asking about the Christchurch Earthquake recovery and the payout decisions made on commerical sections. Finally, National are today asking 4 questions ranging from the possitives of the Sky City Convention Centre to Welfare Fraud and prisoner training inside our prisions.
Questions to Members
Today also sees 1 question from Brendan Horan to Hon Damien O’Connor (Member of Parliament for West Coast – Tasman) in relation to the Tasman District Council (Validation and Recovery of Certain Rates) Bill.
- BRENDAN HORAN to the Member in charge of the Tasman District Council (Validation and Recovery of Certain Rates) Bill: What is the purpose of the Tasman District Council (Validation and Recovery of Certain Rates) Bill?
General Debate 3pm – 4pm
12 x 5 Min speeches from various MPs
Private and Local Orders of the day 4pm – 6pm and 7.30pm to 10pm
- Waitaki District Council Reservces and Other Land Empowering Bill – 3rd reading – 12 x 10 min speeches – Jackie Dean
This bill relates to 3 pieces of land inside the Waitaki District including sites such as the Palmerston Showgrounds, Lookout Point Island with it’s intent to clafifty the status of one piece of land and for the removal of reservations on the Palmerston Showgrounds and Lookout Point Island in order to allow the council to take over ownership of Palmerston Showgrounds and allow for the council to sell parts of Lookout Point Island as was orignally intended for in 1885.
At the last reading of the bill the vote passed by 97 to 23 with New Zealand First, Mana and the Greens voting against the bill
2. South Taranaki District Council (Cold Creek Rural Water Supply) Bill – Committee Stage – Hon Chester Borrows
This bill would allow for the South Taranaki District Council to transfer ownership of the Cold Creek Rural Water Supply Scheme to back to the community via creating a co-operative called Cold Creek Community Water Supply Limited which would allow allow them to look after the scheme that provides water to around 7,620 hectares of land in the Pihama/Te Kiri area in South Taranaki.
So far the Greens have opposed this bill on the grounds due to “the potential injustice that the privatisation would result in” (Quote from Eugenie Sage – 2nd Reading speech)
3. Tasman District Council (Validation and Recovery of Certain Rates) Bill – First Reading – 12 x 10 min speeches – Hon Damien O’Connor
This bill is designed to claifiy rating issues in the Tasman District during the years 2003-2004 and 2008-2009 in which they failed to apply section 23 of the Local Government Act 2002 correctly when setting rates in the region, especially in the areas of Tata Beach and Ligar Bay in Golden Bay who have challenged the Tasman District Council over stormwater charges charged to them during these years.
For some background reading to the bill and the reasons why it has been created feel free to read these stories from the Nelson Mail
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7731601/Council-seeks-bill-to-fix-rating-mistake
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7783535/Residents-meet-MP-over-new-bill