SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS

From 27 September to 4 October 2002

Committee meetings

There were 17 committee meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

(available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/cgi-bin/select-reports)

Commerce

- 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Consumer Affairs

Education and Science

- 2002/03 Estimates for Vote National Library

- 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Education Review Office

- 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Crown Research Institutes

- 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Research, Science and Technology

Bills referred to select committees

The Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill was referred to the Maori Affairs Committee, with a reporting date of 19 December 2002.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill was referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee, with a reporting date of 31 March 2003.

The Hops Industry Reform Bill was referred to the Primary Production Committee, with a reporting date of 30 April 2003.

Committee notes

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

Commerce (Clare Sutherland, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Thursday, 3 October to consider the Consumer Protection (Definition of Goods and Services) Bill and the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. It also considered the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Energy and Vote Consumer Affairs, and heard evidence on Vote Economic, Industry and Regional Development from the Minister of Economic Development and departmental officials.

At its next meeting on Thursday, 10 October the committee will continue its consideration of the Consumer Protection (Definition of Goods and Services) Bill and the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, and consider Vote Energy and Vote Economic, Industry and Regional Development.

Education and Science (Angela Van Dam, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

At its meeting on Wednesday, 2 October, the committee heard submissions on the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa) Bill. Submitters heard included:

- Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (Maori Language Commission)

- Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind

- Library and Information Association of New Zealand

- Te Ropu Whakahau (Maori Library and Information Workers’ Association)

- University of Otago

- Wai-te-Ata Press

- Open Polytechnic

- Newspaper Publishers’ Association

- Book Publishers’ Association

- Friends of the Turnbull Library

- Trustees of the National Library

- Council of New Zealand University Librarians.

Prior to the meeting the committee visited the National Library of New Zealand and the Alexander Turnbull Library, and received a briefing from Library officials on the operation of the facilities.

The committee also presented its reports on the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Research, Science and Technology, Vote National Library, Vote Education Review Office and Vote Crown Research Institutes. The reports can be viewed at the Office of the Clerk website.

Finance and Expenditure (Fay Paterson, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Wednesday, 2 October, to hear evidence on the Taxation (Annual Rates, Maori Organisations, Taxpayer Compliance and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. The committee plans to complete the hearings of evidence for this bill over the next two weeks.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill has been referred to the committee for consideration. The bill amends the legislation governing the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (the Bank), and contains provisions amending the management of the Bank. It also contains provisions amending rules governing the use of the words “bank’, “banker’ and “banking’, and the powers of the Bank to register banks and supervise registered banks. The bill also introduces a new Part into the Act outlining the Bank’s oversight interest and responsibility over the payment system in New Zealand. The committee has called for submissions on the bill and set a closing date of 8 November 2002.

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

The committee met twice this week on Tuesday, 1 October, and Thursday, 3 October, to give further consideration to the Climate Change Response Bill. The committee will be considering this bill again next week. It will also begin its Estimates examinations next week.

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

The committee has resolved to expand the terms of reference for its inquiry into the weathertightness of buildings in New Zealand to specifically include health issues. The complete terms of reference for this inquiry are now to inquire into:

- The level of detail to be provided with building consent applications with respect to weathertightness, including flashings, with a view to determining what constitutes a reasonable level of detail.

- The inspection regime as part of the code compliance certification process, with specific reference to weathertightness aspects, and with a view to developing guidelines for inspection.

- The split responsibility of building certifiers and territorial authorities with respect to building consents, inspection and code compliance certification, and reports on any issue caused by that split responsibility.

- The decline in the level of skills in the building sector, with a view to determining the cause for that decline, and to investigating how that decline might be reversed.

- The health issues that may arise from leaking buildings.

- Any other matters that the committee may consider appropriate, on the basis of information received.

Members of the public wishing to make a submission should forward 20 copies of their submission by Monday, 21 October 2002, to Lesley Ferguson, Clerk of the Committee, Government Administration Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met all day on Wednesday, 2 October, chiefly to hear from submitters on the Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill and Supplementary Order Paper 148. The committee will hear a further submission on the bill next Wednesday, 9 October, at 12.30 pm. This hearing will be open to the public in Room G.011, Parliament House.

The committee is inviting public submissions on its inquiry into the proposal to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products. The closing date for submissions is 13 November 2002. The committee’s terms of reference are to:

- consider the legislative and regulatory regimes governing dietary supplements and traditional remedies in other countries.

- consider an appropriate regulatory framework to govern dietary supplements and traditional remedies in New Zealand, including assessments of:

1. whether this should be by the proposed joint trans-Tasman therapeutic products agency, including an examination of the process followed in developing this proposal

2. the risk created by the use of dietary supplements and traditional remedies

3. the compliance costs that would be imposed and any added cost to consumers

4. whether indigenous complementary medicinal/rongoa products and extracts used for alternative therapy would be protected.

The inquiry does not extend to pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medicines or medical devices.

The committee requires 25 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include any information of a private or personal nature in a submission should first discuss this with the clerk of the committee, as submissions are usually released to the public by the committee. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions should state this clearly and provide a daytime telephone contact number. For further guidance on making a submission, our publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee can be found on our web site. Submissions should be addressed to Catherine Parkin, Clerk of the Committee, Health Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Justice and Electoral (Louise Sparrer, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Wednesday, 2 October, to continue its consideration of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill and the Clean Slate Bill, the Retirement Villages Bill and the Prostitution Reform Bill. The committee heard evidence from selected submitters on the Retirement Villages Bill between 10.00 am and 12.00 pm. Three submitters were heard in person, one was conducted simultaneously in person and by teleconference from Taupo, and one submission from Christchurch was made by videoconference.

The committee’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, 16 October, when it will continue its consideration of the Retirement Villages Bill and meet with the visiting Joint Committee on Human Rights from the United Kingdom, which comprises members of both Houses of Parliament.

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

The committee met on Wednesday, 2 October, to hear evidence on the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Corrections from the chief executive and officials from the Department of Corrections.

The committee also considered the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill for the first time and set a closing date for public submissions of Friday, 29 November 2002. The bill aims to strike an appropriate balance between extending the use of DNA as a valuable investigative crime-fighting tool, and recognising and protecting fundamental personal rights. Proposed amendments include:

- allowing buccal (mouth) swabs to be taken, as an alternative to taking blood samples

- allowing compulsory DNA testing of all inmates in prison on the date the amending legislation comes into force if they were convicted of a relevant schedule offence prior to the commencement of the 1996 Act

- repealing the current six-month limitation for obtaining a sample from a person convicted of a schedule offence who is serving a term of imprisonment in respect of that offence

- extending the range of material that can be used as a basis to compel a suspect to provide a DNA sample to material (including foetal matter) that a judge is satisfied is reasonably believed to be genetically traceable to the person who committed the offence

- allowing DNA samples to be taken, by consent or by court compulsion order, from persons suspected of committing burglary or entering with intent.

Copies of the bill can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops.

The committee requires 20 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include any information of a private or personal nature in a submission should first discuss this with the clerk of committee, as submissions are usually released to the public. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions should state this clearly and provide a daytime telephone contact number. E-mail submissions will not be accepted unless the submitter’s name and contact address/telephone number is included. For further guidance on making a submission, our publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee can be found on our web site at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

Submissions should be addressed to Tracey Rayner, Clerk of Committee,

Law and Order Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

The committee is scheduled to next meet on Wednesday, 9 October, when it will be considering the Land Transport (Street and Illegal Drag Racing) Amendment Bill. Submissions will be presented by Manukau City Council and New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health. A hearing of evidence on the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Police is also scheduled, with the Police Commissioner, Rob Robinson, and officials from the New Zealand Police in attendance.

Local Government and Environment (Marie Alexander, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

At its meeting on Thursday, 3 October, the committee heard further evidence from Local Government New Zealand and the Local Government Forum in relation to the Local Government Bill. The committee also heard evidence from the Minister of Conservation and the Department of Conservation as part of the committee's examination of the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Conservation.

On Thursday, 10 October, the committee will continue its examination of the 2002/03 Estimates by examining Vote Environment and Vote Energy - Energy Efficiency and Conservation. Evidence will be heard from the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Energy.

Maori Affairs (Julian Kersey, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Thursday, 3 October, to hear evidence from the Office of Treaty Settlements on the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Treaty Negotiations. It also heard evidence from Te Puni Kokiri on the Estimates for Vote Maori Affairs, and evidence from the Crown Forestry Rental Trust on its inquiry into the Trust.

The Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill was referred to the committee on 3 October. The committee is required to report to the House by 19 December 2002. The aim of the Bill is to give effect to a Deed of Settlement between the Crown and Ngati Ruanui in respect of the Ngati Ruanui historical claims under the Treaty of Waitangi. The Deed of Settlement also records the acknowledgments and the apology given by the Crown to Ngati Ruanui. The committee is calling for submissions with a deadline of 1 November 2002. Information on making a submission is provided below.

The committee is currently calling for submissions on the Maori Purposes Bill (No 2). The deadline is Friday, 25 October 2002. The Maori Purposes Bill (No 2), as introduced, has three major components. It amends:

- the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 to give the Waitangi Tribunal express power to replace members for reasons of illness or other circumstances that prevent them from carrying out their duties. The amendment will also clarify the position as to changes of Tribunal membership in three inquiries: the Wellington Tenths Inquiry (Wai 145), the Hauraki Inquiry (Wai 686) and the Kaipara Inquiry (Wai 674).

- the Broadcasting Act 1989 to reflect a Cabinet decision in 2000 to transfer the responsibility for Maori broadcasting policy and Te Reo Whakapuaki (Te Mangai Paho) from the Minister of Broadcasting to the Minister of Maori Affairs.

- the Maori Land Amendment and Maori Land Claims Adjustment Act 1926 to increase the number of fishing licenses available to members of Ngati Tuwharetoa for Lake Taupo, from 50 to 200.

Copies of the bills can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops.

The committee requires 20 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include any information of a private or personal nature in a submission should first discuss this with the clerk of the committee, as submissions are usually released to the public by the committee. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions should state this clearly and provide a daytime telephone contact number. For further guidance on making a submission, our publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee can be found on our web site at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

Submissions should be addressed to Julian Kersey, Clerk of the Committee, Maori Affairs Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. Contact for further details: Mahara Okeroa (Chairperson) on (04) 471 9999 or Julian Kersey on (04) 471 9043 or SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz.

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

On Thursday, 3 October the committee questioned Hon Annette King, Minister of Food Safety, over the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Food Safety. The recently established New Zealand Food Safety Authority is funded through the new vote. Issues covered during the examination included:

- the Food Safety Authority's inter-face with other Government departments and agencies

- the relationship of the Food Safety Authority with community activities with a food safety element (such as a fund raiser's sausage sizzle)

- country of origin labelling

- biosecurity and the treating of imported foods.

The committee next meets on Thursday, 17 October, to further consider the Estimates and initiate the 2001/02 financial review process with consideration of the 2001/02 Financial Review of the Ministry of Fisheries.

The committee is also seeking submissions on the Hops Industry Reform Bill. The bill is designed to enable the hop industry to position itself so that it can respond positively to the challenges of the international market. The key features of the bill are to restructure the New Zealand Hop Marketing Board into a co-operative company (New Zealand Hop Marketers Limited), and provide hop producers with direct ownership of the company, and to remove restraints and complications over the export and acquisition of New Zealand hops and hop products. The submission deadline is Monday, 11 November 2002.

Standing Orders (David Bagnall, SC-SO@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee heard submissions on the Remuneration Authority (Members of Parliament) Amendment Bill. Witnesses attended from the Association of Former Members of Parliament, and then the Controller and Auditor-General gave evidence, principally in relation to the findings of his Office's investigations into arrangements for the remuneration and expenses of members.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will next meet on Thursday, 10 October, to examine the 2002/03 Estimates for Vote Transport and Vote Accident Insurance. The meeting will be open to the public from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm, in Room G.009, Parliament House.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Finance and Expenditure

Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill (8 November 2002)

Government Administration

Inquiry into the weathertightness of buildings in New Zealand (21 October 2002)

Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill (No 2) (21 October 2002)

Health

Inquiry into the proposal to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products (13 November 2002)

Law and Order

Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill (29 November 2002)

Local Government and Environment

Masterton Trust Lands Bill (4 October 2002)

Maori Affairs

Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) (25 October 2002)

Primary Production

Hop Industry Restructuring Bill (11 November 2002)

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:

Ethan Tucker

Parliamentary Officer (Select Committees)

ethan.tucker@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 4 October 2002

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