SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS

From 23 March to 30 March 2001
Committee meetings
There were 22 committee meetings. One meeting was in Christchurch; the others were in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented (7)
Law and Order
- Habeas Corpus Bill (308-2)

Privileges
- Question of privilege referred on 25 July 2000 relating to Westco Lagan Ltd v the Attorney-General and the Clerk of the House of Representatives (I.17A)

Finance and Expenditure
- 1999/2000 financial review of the Earthquake Commission
- 1999/2000 financial review of At Work Insurance Limited
- 1999/2000 financial review of the Public Trust Office

Education and Science
- 1999/2000 financial review of the New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
- 1999/2000 financial review of the New Zealand Antarctic Institute

Bills referred to select committees
Three members’ bills were referred to select committees:

The Criminal Investigations (Blood Samples – Burglary Suspects) Amendment Bill was referred to the Law and Order Committee.

The Clean Slate Bill was referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee.

The Dog Control (Hearing Dogs) Amendment Bill was referred to the Government Administration Committtee.

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

Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met three times this week. The first two meetings involved public hearings of submissions on the Education Amendment Bill (No 2), following on from the committee’s hearing in Auckland last week. On Tuesday nine submissions were heard, including those of the Aotearoa Tertiary Students’ Association, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, and the Teacher Registration Board. On Wednesday, the committee heard 19 submitters, including the Wellington College of Education, the Association of University Staff of New Zealand, Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Maori, Lincoln University, NZEI, NZSTA, and the Aids Foundation.

On Thursday the committee considered the Education Amendment Bill (No 2), the Educational Establishments (Exemption from Certain Rates) Bill, and the Specialist Education Services.

Finance and Expenditure (Matthew Andrews, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee considered and heard evidence from submitters on the Public Trust Bill. The committee also reported on the 1999/2000 financial reviews of At Work Insurance, the Earthquake Commission and the Public Trust Office.

Next week the committee will consider the March monetary policy statement and the 1999/2000 financial review of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee was briefed by Senator Douglas Roche from the Canadian Parliament on issues related to nuclear disarmament. Senator Roche is in New Zealand to attend the United Nations regional disarmament conference, hosted by the Government. The committee also gave further consideration to its inquiry into New Zealand's economic and trade relationship with Australia. The committee will have the opportunity to advance this inquiry while it participates in the select committee exchange programme with the Australian Parliament in June.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee has resolved to call for public submissions on the Dog Control (Hearing Dogs) Amendment Bill. The bill seeks to amend the Dog Control Act 1996 to allow hearing ear dogs used by people who are deaf to be granted all the same rights as guide dogs used by people who are blind.

The closing date for submissions on the Dog Control (Hearing Dogs) Amendment Bill is Friday, 4 May 2001. Please send 15 copies of your submission to Lesley Ferguson, Clerk of the Government Administration Committee, Select Committee Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Next week the committee is to hear evidence from Maori and Pacific groups on the inquiry into New Zealand’s adoption laws. It will also continue to hear evidence on the Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee heard the last submissions on the Local Electoral Bill in Wellington and Christchurch. It also considered the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Bill and the inquiry into the 1999 General Election. In addition, the committee commenced hearing submissions on the Victims’ Rights Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No112 (SOP) in Christchurch. Most submissions were concerned that the bill and SOP do not go far enough in providing rights for victims. In particular, the need for restorative justice was identified by several submissions. Resourcing issues and providing comprehensive and streamlined services to victims were also highlighted.

Next week the committee will continue to consider the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Bill, the Local Electoral Bill and the inquiry into the 1999 General Election at an extended meeting.

Please contact the Clerk of the Committee for further information about the committee’s business in April.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee presented a report on the Habeas Corpus Bill on 26 March 2001.

The committee met on Thursday, 29 March. The meeting was open to the public during a hearing of evidence from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions on the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) and Supplementary Order Paper No 85. The remainder of the meeting was closed to the public for consideration of the petition of John Louis Dean and three others, and the Degrees of Murder Bill.

The committee next meets on Thursday, 5 April, from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm to consider the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) and Supplementary Order Paper No 85, as well as the Degrees of Murder Bill.

Local Government and Environment (David Bagnall, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met on Wednesday to consider the Local Government (Elected Member Remuneration and Trading Enterprises) Amendment Bill, the Resource Management Amendment Bill and the Resource Management (Costs) Amendment Bill. Next week the committee will continue its examination of the Resource Management Amendment Bill.

Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee received a briefing from Te Puni Kokiri on its monitoring and evaluation of the delivery of services to Maori by the Ministry of Education. This was followed by a briefing from the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Fisheries and Te Puni Kokiri on Lake Omapere.

Next week the committee will further consider its inquiries into the Maori Trustee and the possible collapse of Lake Omapere.

MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee is still considering the issues raised in the 287 submissions received on MMP, and those raised in the oral hearings. The committee next meets after the April adjournment.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)
On Tuesday, 27 March, the subcommittee on the inquiry into organic agriculture in New Zealand met to further consider the inquiry.

The committee met on Thursday, 29 March, to hear evidence on the Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill and the1999/2000 financial review of Quotable Value New Zealand Limited. It also considered the Foreign Fishing Crew Wages and Repatriation Bond Bill, the 1999/2000 financial reviews of AgriQuality New Zealand Limited and ASURE New Zealand Limited and the inquiry into organic agriculture in New Zealand.

The committee was referred a supplementary order paper on the Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill on Thursday, 29 March 2001 and has invited submissions from fishing industry organisations.

Next week the committee will meet on Thursday, 5 April, to hear evidence on the supplementary order paper and to further consider the Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill. Also under consideration are the 1999/2000 financial reviews of AgriQuality New Zealand Limited and ASURE New Zealand Limited.

Lastly, the committee will be briefed by the State Services Commission (SSC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on the actual benefits of the 1998 merger of the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry. At the time of the merger, the SSC undertook to review its outcome and assess the actual benefits to those estimated at the time the decision was made to merge the two ministries. The briefing is open to the public.

The following week, the committee will travel to Taupo on Thursday, 11 April, to hear evidence on its inquiry into sustainable forestry management.

Regulations Review (Fiona McLean, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )
The committee met on Wednesday, 28 March. It heard evidence from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on the Commodity Levies (Pipfruit) Order 2000 (SR 2000/258).

The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 4 April. It will hear evidence from the Parliamentary Counsel Office on the committee’s inquiry into regulation-making powers that authorise international treaties to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments. Evidence will be heard from 3.15 pm to 3.45 pm and will be open to the public.

The committee will also hear evidence from the Ministry of Justice and other officials relating to the High Court Amendment Rules (No. 2) 2000 (SR 2000/254). Evidence will be heard from 4.00 pm to 4.20 pm and will be open to the public.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee continued hearing evidence on the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (No 2).

The committee will hear evidence on the 1999/2000 financial review of Airways Corporation from 4.00 to 6.00 pm on Wednesday, 4 April 2001.

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

Commerce
Supplementary Order Paper No 123 relating to the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill (20 April 2001)

Finance and Expenditure
New Zealand Stock Exchange Restructuring Bill (2 May 2001)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
International Treaties Bill (31 March 2001)

Government Administration
Cigarettes (Fire Safety) Bill (31 March 2001)
Statutes Amendment Bill (31 March 2001)
Inquiry into the operation of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (4 May 2001)
Dog Control (Hearing Dogs) Amendment Bill is Friday (4 May 2001)

Health
Medical Practitioners (Foreign Qualified Medical Practitioners) Amendment Bill (31 March 2001)
Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill (23 April 2001)

Justice and Electoral
Electoral Amendment Bill (No 2) (30 April 2001)

Law and Order
Criminal Investigations (Blood Samples – Burglary Suspects) Amendment Bill (30 June 2001)

Local Government and Environment
Auckland Aotea Centre Empowering Amendment Bill (2 April 2001)
Taranaki Regional Council Empowering Bill (2 April 2001)

General

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:

Carol Rankin
Senior Parliamentary Officer
at carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 30 March 2001

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