Parliament July 2 2013

1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?
2. DAVID SHEARER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?
3. PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on business and economic conditions in New Zealand?
4. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his answer to written question 07314 (2013) when he said: “The inquiry team, itself, did not seek permission from Peter Dunne before it obtained his email logs” and does he think it should have?
5. SIMON O’CONNOR to the Minister of Transport: How will the Government progress the delivery of the next generation of transport projects for Auckland?
6. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Are the proceeds from selling power companies and other assets being used to pay down debt, to build schools and hospitals, to fund irrigation projects, to rebuild Christchurch, or to fund Auckland transport projects?
7. IAN McKELVIE to the Minister of Police: What updates has she received on how Police are using technology to prevent crime?
8. JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with The Economist that “inequality is one of the biggest social, economic and political challenges of our time”; if so, what is his Government doing to address the fact that New Zealand now has the widest income gap since detailed records began?
9. PAUL FOSTER-BELL to the Minister of Justice: How is the Government improving its justice and other services to local communities?
10. Hon LIANNE DALZIEL to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: When was he first made aware of the September IANZ report which warned the Christchurch City Council that “Continued accreditation beyond May 2013 will depend on a satisfactory outcome of that assessment” and was he advised by CERA or a Ministerial colleague?
11. JONATHAN YOUNG to the Minister of Broadcasting: What progress has been made on the regional rollout of the digital switchover for New Zealand television viewers?
12. GARETH HUGHES to the Minister of Conservation: Will he implement the recommendations to protect Maui’s dolphins contained in the report of this year’s meeting of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee; if not, why not?

Questions to Members.

1. JACINDA ARDERN to the Chairperson of the Social Services Committee: On which date and time, if any, did he receive the Minister for Social Development’s written responses to the pre-hearing questions for the 2013/14 Estimates review for Vote Social Development?
2. JACINDA ARDERN to the Chairperson of the Social Services Committee: On what date did the Minister for Social Development appear before the Committee to answer questions regarding the 2013/14 Estimates review for Vote Social Development?
3. Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee: Did he consider inviting the Minister to appear again to answer questions around responses to questions on the 2013/14 Estimates for Vote Education, if so, did he receive any advice about the Minister’s willingness to appear again?

Today Labour are asking four questions, The Greens are asking two questions, and New Zealand First are asking one question. Labour are asking whether the Prime Minister stands by all his statements, use of proceeds from the Mixed Ownership Model, inequality and the Christchurch City Council losing its accreditation to issue building consents. The Greens are asking about the Henry Inquiry and Maui Dolphins.  New Zealand First are also asking if the Prime Minister stands by all his statements.

Labour are also asking three questions to Members. The first two are from Jacinda Ardern to Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, the chair of the Social Services select committee. These two questions relate to the appearances of the Minister of Social Development, Paula Bennett, before the committee. The third question is from Dr Megan Woods to Dr Cam Calder, chair of the Education and Science select committee. The question is whether Dr Cam Calder received any advice around whether the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, would be willing to appear again.

Today’s patsy question goes to Jonathan Young for Question 11: What progress has been made on the regional rollout of the digital switchover for New Zealand television viewers?

Government Bills 3.00 PM – 6.00 PM and 7.30 PM – 10.00 PM

1. Food Bill – Second Reading

2. Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill – Second Reading

3. Royal Succession Bill – First Reading

4. Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill (No 2) – First Reading

The Food Bill was introduced in May 2010 and is being guided through the house by the Minister of Food Safety, Nikki Kaye. The bill introduces substantial reforms to the regulatory regime for the safety and suitability of food. This bill would on commencement replace the Food Act 1981 and over time the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 and the Food (Safety) Regulations 2002. It would also make consequential amendments to the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Wine Act 2003. It seeks to provide an efficient, risk-based regulatory regime that places a primary duty on persons trading in food to ensure that what is sold is safe and suitable. It passed first reading without dissent, and was reported back by the Government Administration Select Committee with a dissent from the Green Party.

The Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill was introduced in November 2011 and is being guided through the house by the Minister of Commerce, Craig Foss. This bill amends the Companies Act 1993 and the Limited Partnerships Act 2008 so as to increase confidence in New Zealand’s financial markets and regulation of corporate forms. It passed first reading without dissent, and was reported back by the Commerce Committee unamiously.

The Royal Succession Bill was introduced in February 2013 is being guided through the house by the Minister of Justice, Judith Collins. This Bill implements changes to rules of Royal succession. The changes have been agreed by the 16 Realms of which Her Majesty the Queen is Sovereign. Most of the changes were approved in principle at a meeting on 28 October 2011, coinciding with the Perth Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The rest were agreed through later discussions among the Realms. The changes modernise historic Royal succession rules, in particular by removing various aspects of gender and religious discrimination in the line of succession.The changes are being implemented in a co-ordinated manner with the other Realms to ensure all Realms have consistent succession laws and the Bill’s commencement will allow for concurrent implementation with the other Realms.

The Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Bill (No 2) was introduced in June 2013 is being guided through the house by the Minister for Local Government, Chris Tremain. This Bill amends the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 to enable local boards established under the Act to delegate responsibilities, duties or powers conferred or allocated to them under the Act.