Select Committee Business
From 29 June to 6 July 2001
Committee meetings
There were six meetings this week, all in the parliamentary complex.
Reports presented (7)
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
- Estimates for 2001/02 for Vote Defence and Vote Defence Force
- International treaty examination of the Labour Statistics Convention
Government Administration
- Summit Road (Canterbury) Protection Bill (73-2)
- Estimates for 2001/02 for Vote Tourism
- Estimates for 2001/02 for Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet
Education and Science
- Review inquiries of public tertiary education institutions (I. 2A)
Commerce
- Estimates for 2001/02 for Vote Energy
Bills referred to select committees
No bills were referred.
Committee notes
(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics)
Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)
On Tuesday, 3 July, the committee presented a special report on its review inquiries of public tertiary education
institutions. The report outlines the background to the committee’s decision, the powers and constraints under which it
will act, the purpose of the reviews and the reaction to the committee’s decision from some parts of the tertiary
education sector.
The object of the reviews is primarily to provide a forum for communication between institutions and Parliament, via the
select committee process. The committee wants to encourage a two-way dialogue with public entities that are of great
importance to the future of New Zealand and to the development and success of the knowledge economy. The hearings will
provide an opportunity for a discussion about the effects of government policies on individual institutions.
The secondary focus of the reviews is to assess the actual performance of the institution against its expected
performance in the previous financial year. Current operations will also be examined. Tertiary education institutions
receive a large amount of public funding and the committee intends to explore, on behalf of Parliament, whether or not
the public’s investment is being well managed. The terms of reference for the reviews are:
- to compare and assess the public tertiary education institution's actual performance for the previous financial with
its expected performance
- to assess the institution's current operations
- to consider matters brought to our attention by the institution
- to observe the principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy set out in sections 160 and 161 of the
Education Act 1989.
The report is available via the Office of the Clerk website: www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/publications, and from
Bennetts Government Bookshops.
The committee will next meet on Thursday,12 July.
Finance and Expenditure (Julian Kersey, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee did not meet this week. It will be meeting on 17, 18 and 19 July to hear evidence on the Taxation (Annual
Rates, Taxpayer Assessment and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. The meeting of 17 July will be from 1 pm to 4 pm at the
Russley Hotel in Christchurch. The meeting of 18 July will be from 9 am to 5 pm in Wellington. The meeting of 19 July
will be from 9 am to 1 pm in the Gateway Hotel, Mangare, Auckland.
The committee called for submissions on the Construction Contracts Bill. The deadline for submissions is 8 August 2001.
The bill is intended to facilitate prompt and regular payments within the construction industry. It will also provide
for the resolution of disputes and provide remedies for the recovery of payments under a construction contract.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee’s next meeting will be on 26 July.
Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee reported on the Summit Road (Canterbury) Protection Bill with the recommendation that it should proceed
with amendments. The bill seeks to replace the Summit Road (Canterbury) Protection Act 1963 and provide for the
preservation and protection of the scenic and natural amenities associated with the Summit Road and other roads on the
Port Hills of Canterbury.
The committee also reported back its 2001/02 Estimates for Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet and Vote Tourism.
Next week the committee is to hear evidence on the Dog Control (Hearing Dogs) Amendment Bill.
Health (Matthew Andrews, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee did not meet this week. Next week it will travel to Dunedin to hear submissions on the cannabis inquiry.
Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)
The next meeting of the committee will be on 26 July. The committee will receive a briefing on the government response
to recommendations in the committee's report on its inquiry into the possible collapse of Lake Ompare. The committee's
report can be found at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/publications/omapere.pdf. A briefing from Trustees of the
Crown Forestry Rental Trust will follow.
MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee is not meeting during the adjournment. It will next meet on 25 July.
Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee took advantage of the adjournment of the House to hold an all day meeting on Thursday, 5 July, to progress
business.
In the morning session the committee examined Vote Lands with the Minister for Land Information, and officials from Land
Information New Zealand appearing to give oral evidence and answer questions. The committee also had the opportunity to
view a real-time working demonstration of the computerised land information system, LandOnline. The last segment of the
morning session was hearing evidence from the former Chairman and former Chief Executive of the now liquidated Terralink
Limited, on the 1999/2000 financial review of the former State Enterprise.
The afternoon session started with hearing evidence via telephone linkup with a submitter to the inquiry into
sustainable forestry management, followed by consideration of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Bill and the 2001/02
Estimates for Vote Agriculture and Forestry and Votes Biosecurity.
Next week the committee takes a break, but will be back on 19 July to progress Estimates, legislation and inquiries.
Regulations Review (Andrew Fieldsend, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )
The committee did not meet this week: its next meeting is on Wednesday, 25 July.
Next week two members of the committee, Richard Worth and David Benson-Pope, will attend the International Conference on
Regulation Reform Management and Scrutiny of Legislation in Sydney. Mr Worth will present a paper titled The Devil in
the detail: A New Zealand perspective of the scrutiny of delegated legislation.
The committee is currently receiving submissions on its inquiry into the principles determining whether delegated
legislation is given the status of regulations. The terms of reference for the inquiry and a discussion paper are
available from the Clerk of the Committee or can be found at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/publications. The closing date
for submissions is 27 July 2001. The committee would prefer to receive 20 copies of any submission.
Closing dates for submissions
Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:
Finance and Expenditure
Construction Contracts Bill (8 August 2001)
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
Terrorism (Bombing and Financing) Bill (13 July 2001)
Australia New Zealand Social Security Agreement (20 July 2001)
Government Administration
Racing Bill (10 August 2001)
Recreation and Sport Agency Bill (10 August 2001)
Primary Production
Apple and Pear Restructuring Act Repeal Bill (20 July 2001)
Dairy Industry Restructuring Bill (20 July 2001)
Regulations Review
Inquiry into the principles determining whether delegated legislation is given the status of regulations (27 July 2001)
Social Services
Child Support Amendment Bill (13 July 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:
Ends