SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS

From 18 May to 25 May 2001

Committee meetings

There were 17 committee meetings. One committee met in Auckland. The remainder met in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Justice and Electoral

- Special report on the transcripts of evidence heard in the course of an inquiry into matters relating to the visit of the President of China to New Zealand in 1999 (I. 7B)

Bills referred to select committees

The Social Security (Residence of Spouses) Amendment Bill was referred to the Social Services Committee with a report due by 11 June 2001.

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Amendment Bill was referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee with a report due by 12 June 2001.

Committee notes

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

Commerce (Alan Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met three times this week to consider the Electricity Industry Bill. On Thursday, 24 May the committee also considered the Electronic Transactions Bill. It will next meet on Thursday, 31 May from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm to consider the Electronic Transactions Bill and the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill. The committee will be hearing public submissions on the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill from 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm.

Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

The subcommittee on the inquiry into the teaching of reading in New Zealand met this week to continue its consideration.

The full committee will not be meeting during the upcoming adjournment. Its next meeting will be on Thursday 14 June, when it will begin its examination of Vote Education and Vote Education Review, referred following the delivery of the 2001/02 Budget on 24 May 2001.

Finance and Expenditure (Julian Kersey, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met twice this week. On Wednesday the committee considered the following bills: the Public Trust Bill, the New Zealand Superannuation Bill, the Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill, and the New Zealand Stock Exchange Restructuring Bill. On Thursday the committee met, following the delivery of the Budget, to allocate 2001/02 Estimates of appropriation and 2000/01 Supplementary Estimates to subject committees for consideration and report to the House. The reporting deadline for 2001/02 Estimates is 23 July 2001 and the deadline for reports on 2000/01 Supplementary Estimates is 22 June 2001.

The committee next meets on Wednesday, 6 June to continue consideration of the two superannuation bills and the New Zealand Stock Exchange Restructuring Bill.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)

The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee did not meet this week due to the House sitting in urgency. The committee is unlikely to meet again until the House resumes in the second week of June. In the first week in June the committee will travel to Australia to participate in the inter-parliamentary committee exchange with the Australian Parliament and to obtain further evidence on its inquiry in the New Zealand's economic and trade relationship with Australia. The committee will spend two days in Canberra and two days in Sydney.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 24 May to consider the Civil Defence Emergency Management Bill. Next week it meets to continue its consideration of the Statutes Amendment Bill and the Cigarettes (Fire Safety) Bill. The committee will also begin its consideration of the 2001/02 Estimates votes that have been referred to the committee for examination.

Health (Matthew Andrews, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

The Health committee completed hearing submissions this week on the Medical Practitioners (Foreign Qualified Medical Practitioners) Amendment bill. The committee heard a submission from the New Zealand Medical Students Association, and further evidence from the Medical Council of New Zealand. The committee’s deadline for reporting to the House on this bill is 21 August 2001.

The committee will meet during the adjournment next week from 2.00 pm to 6:00 pm and again from 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm to hear submissions on its inquiry into health strategies relating to cannabis use. The terms of reference for this inquiry are:

- To inquire into the most effective public health and health promotion strategies to minimise the use of and the harm associated with cannabis and consequently the most appropriate legal status of cannabis.

The meeting is open to the public from 3.00 pm onwards and will be held in room G.005, Parliament House.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee heard the last three submissions on the Electoral Amendment Bill (No 2) and considered the bill and the Inquiry into the 1999 General Election. It also considered the Prostitution Reform Bill.

The committee does not meet next week. At its next meeting on 6 June 2001 it will hear most of the remaining submissions on the Victims’ Rights Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 112 and continue hearing submissions on the Prostitution Reform Bill. It will also consider the 2001/2002 Estimates and the Clean Slate Bill.

Please contact the Clerk of the Committee for further information about the committee’s meetings for the next month.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The Law and Order Committee did not meet as scheduled on Thursday, 24 May 2001, as the House was in urgency. The committee will next meet on Friday, 1 June 2001, from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm to commence its examination of 2001/02 Estimates: Vote Courts, Vote Corrections, Vote Police, and Vote Serious Fraud. It will also consider the 1993/258 Petition of John Louis Dean and 3 others, 1993/258 Petition of Michael Stove and 1 other, 1993/259 Petition of Jude Williamson, 1993/292 Petition of Wayne Haussmann and 1 other, 1993/293 Petition of D R McNaughton and 2 others, 1993/294 Petition of P A Williamson, 1993/295 Petition of Frank Miessen, 1993/332 Petition of P W Hall and others, the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6), and Supplementary Order Paper No 85 to the bill.

The committee is still seeking submissions on the Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill and the Criminal Investigations (Blood Samples - Burglary Suspects) Amendment Bill. The closing date for submissions on both bills is 30 June 2001.

Local Government and Environment (David Bagnall, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Amendment Bill has been referred to the committee. It must be reported back to the House by 12 June 2001. The committee has called for submissions on the bill, and the closing date for submissions is 1 June 2001.

The purpose of the bill is to enable applications for resource consents that were filed before the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 came into force, but not finally determined until after this bill comes into force, to be decided as if the Act had not been passed. Copies of the bill can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. The bill may also be viewed at the following web address: http://www.gp.co.nz/wooc/bills/hauraki/haurakig.html

This week the committee considered the Hawke's Bay Endowment Land Empowering Bill and the Local Government (Elected Member Remuneration and Trading Enterprises) Amendment Bill, as well as the Petition of Rosemary Godwin relating to asbestos contamination in East Tamaki. The committee is not meeting next week.

MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)

The MMP Review Committee continues with its consideration of the issues raised in submissions to it on the review of MMP. The committee will not meet in the adjournment. Its next meeting is scheduled for 13 June.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)

The Primary Production Committee meeting scheduled for 24 May 2001 was cancelled when the House went into urgency.

On 31 May 2001, the committee will commence its examination of 2001/02 Estimates votes referred following the delivery of the Budget on 24 May 2001. The committee will hear evidence on Vote Agriculture and Forestry, and Vote Biosecurity on Thursday, 21 June 2001. The committee will also consider the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Amendment Bill, with the hearing of evidence on the 1999/2000 Financial Review of Terralink Limited scheduled to commence as well.

On 6 and 7 June 2001, the Primary Production Committee will travel to the West Coast of the South Island to hold hearings and conduct a site visit in its inquiry into sustainable forestry management. The hearings will be held at the Southland Hotel, Hokitika from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm on Wednesday, 6 June 2001 and from 3.00 pm to 8.30 pm on Thursday, 7 June. A site visit to Inchbonnie, West Coast, is scheduled for the morning of 7 June.

Regulations Review (Fiona McLean, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )

The Regulations Review Committee met on Wednesday, 23 May. It heard evidence from Dr Russ Ballard, the Chief Executive of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and other officials from LINZ about the Survey (Departmental Fees and Charges) Amendment Regulations 2000 (SR 2000/82) and Land Transfer Amendment Regulations 2000 (SR 2000/83). LINZ updated the committee on the implementation of the Landonline automation project. The committee is continuing to monitor the progress of the project, as it is tied to the automation surcharge that has been applied to fees in order to pay for the project. The previous committee reported to the House about the automation surcharge. The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 13 June.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Commerce

Review of the Radio New Zealand Charter (25 May 2001)

Sydenham Money Club Bill (31 May 2001)

Telecommunications Bill (13 June 2001)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Terrorism (Bombing and Financing) Bill (13 July 2001)

Law and Order

Criminal Investigations (Blood Samples - Burglary Suspects) Amendment Bill (30 June 2001)

Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill (30 June 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:

Shelley Banks

Senior Parliamentary Officer

shelley.banks@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 25 May 2001

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