Parliament Today 5 March 2014

Questions for Oral Answer.

Questions to Ministers 2.00-3.00PM.

1. TRACEY MARTIN to the Minister responsible for Novopay:Does he stand by his statement of 11 February 2014, “education payroll is the most complex in New Zealand and more work remains to be done to simplify the business processes to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible each year”?
2. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that “the true builders of that future are the millions of New Zealanders working in the homes, the businesses, the industries of our country”?
3. MAGGIE BARRY to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making with its share offer programme, which is freeing up money for reinvestment in new public assets without having to increase Government debt?
4. ANDREW LITTLE to the Attorney-General: Will he release all correspondence between the Christchurch Crown Solicitor or any other solicitor acting for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and counsel for Peter Whittall on the decision not to proceed with the prosecution of Mr Whittall under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 relating to conditions at the Pike River Mine that lead to the deaths of 29 miners; if not, why not?
5. KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Health: When were Ministry of Health officials first informed that the dispute between the Southern District Health Board and South Link Health involved allegations of the misuse of public funding, and when were they first informed that this alleged misuse was suspected to involve elements that could be fraud?
6. Dr CAM CALDER to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: What announcements has the Government made on the Tertiary Education Strategy for New Zealand?
7. Hon RUTH DYSON to the Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission: Does he stand by his statement made yesterday in the House with regard to Canterbury Labour Members of Parliament that they “have made no more than five requests for assistance through the Earthquake Commission”; if not, when will he be correcting his statement and apologising?
8. MARK MITCHELL to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology: How is the Government’s Information and Communication Technology programme improving New Zealanders’ access to improved technology and better connectivity?
9. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Justice: On what date did she receive an invitation to visit the Shanghai office of Oravida Ltd during her Ministerial visit to China in October 2013, and what actions did she take to ensure this visit met her obligations under the Cabinet Manual?
10. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY to the Associate Minister of Education: Did the communities in Christchurch, Auckland and Queenstown, where four schools are to be built using a public-private partnership (PPP) model, ask the Government for private sector management of their school buildings?
11. PAUL FOSTER-BELL to the Minister of Health: What investment is the Government making in improving nutrition and exercise for pre-schoolers?
12. JOANNE HAYES to the Minister of Corrections: What steps has the Government taken to improve access to alcohol and drug treatment for prisoners?

Today Labour are asking three questions. These are about the economy, CERA, and Judith Collin’s obligations under the Cabinet Manual. The Greens have two questions, one of potential fraud in the health sector and the other on Public-Private Partnerships to build new schools. New Zealand First are asking about Novopay and, Pike River.

Patsy of the day goes to Paul Foster-Bell for Question 11: What investment is the Government making in improving nutrition and exercise for pre-schoolers?

General Debate 3.00PM -4.00PM

An entertaining and informative debate consisting of 12 speeches of no more than 5 minutes each.

Government Bills 4.00PM-6.00Pm – 7.30PM-10.00PM.

1. Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill -First Reading

2. Environmental Reporting Bill– First Reading

3. Energy (Fuels, Levies, and References) Amendment Bill– First Reading

The Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill is being introduced by the Minister for Building and Construction, Maurice Williamson. This bill amends the Building Act 2004 to improve the system for managing earthquake-prone buildings.

The Environmental Reporting Bill is being introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Amy Adams. The purpose of this Bill is to create a national-level environmental reporting system to ensure that reporting on the environment occurs on a regular basis and can be trusted.

The Energy (Fuels, Levies, and References) Amendment Bill is being introduced by the Minister for Energy and Resources, Simon Bridges. The objective of this Bill is to allow for the costs of meeting New Zealand’s oil stockholding treaty obligation under the Agreement on an International Energy Program to be met through a levy on fuel.