QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS
1. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Finance: What actions has the Government taken as a result of the 2000 Inquiry
into the Electricity Industry, the 2001 electricity crisis, and the electricity governance establishment project, and
will these actions reduce what he described as “economic and social disruption” facing New Zealand this winter?
2. DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received regarding the response to the recent
announcement by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand?
3. Hon RICHARD PREBBLE to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Reserve Bank Governor Allan Bollard’s
statement, when announcing the reduction in the official cash rate from 5.75 percent to 5.5 percent, that “available
data suggest that growth in the New Zealand economy is slowing”; if so, will the cut in interest rates be accompanied by
a prosperity boosting tax cut?
4. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister of Conservation: With the worsening electricity crisis and concerns for adequate
electricity supply in future years, will he reconsider amending the Conservation Act 1987 to enable the proposed Dobson
hydro scheme to go ahead as the proposed scheme is in a high rainfall area; if not, why not?
5. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Energy: Are any incentives being developed by the Government to encourage consumers
to make the 10 percent electricity savings called for by Winter Power Taskforce co-ordinator Dr Patrick Strange; if not,
why not?
6. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What initiatives is the Government taking to improve
social policy development?
7. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Police: Do the reported press comments by Police Association president Greg
O’Connor regarding “the state failing to deliver justice to its people”, because of the police’s inability to carry out
car crash inquiries, have substance?
8. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister of Finance: Why did Treasury advice to him describe the range of impacts on GDP
from use of genetically modified organisms as being from a “best-case scenario” of plus 2.5% to a “worst case scenario”
of minus 1.3% when an April 2003 BERL-AERU report on this topic includes scenarios with greater risks to GDP?
9. Dr LYNDA SCOTT to the Minister of Health: Has every district health board by now a comprehensive action plan for
community and hospital care of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome, and a budget to meet that action plan?
10. GEORGINA BEYER to the Minister of Education: What steps is the Government taking to implement the recommendations of
the schools Staffing Review Group?
11. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister of Tourism: What, if anything, was paid for the domain name newzealand.com now
registered to The New Zealand Way Ltd, and who approved the purchase?
12. PETER BROWN to the Minister of Energy: Will the Minister inform the House of all of the implications that he has
been advised of if consumers fail to achieve the necessary savings to avoid disruption to New Zealand’s power supply?
QUESTIONS TO MEMBERS
1. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Chairperson of the Commerce Committee: How much time does the committee consider it will need
to allocate to its inquiry into the electricity industry?