Select Committee Business From 1 August to 8 August 2003 Committee meetings

There were 14 committee meetings; 13 were in the parliamentary complex and one is in progress in Auckland.

Reports presented (available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport) Finance and Expenditure Petition 1999/189 of Neil Leckie and 2 others

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade International treaty examination of the Removal of Reservations on Paid Parental Leave to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women International treaty examination of the Removal of Reservations on Paid Parental Leave to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Commerce Consumer Credit Bill (2-2) Copyright (Parallel Importation of Films and Onus of Proof) Amendment Bill (14-2) Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill (29-2)

Privileges Question of privilege relating to the application of section 55(1)(c) of the Electoral Act 1993 to Hon Harry Duynhoven (I.17C)

Health Inquiry into the public health strategies relating to cannabis use and the most appropriate legal status (I.6C) and five related petitions (1999/37, 1999/114, 1999/122, 1999/157, and 1999/173) Petition 2002/59 of Georgina Beyer MP and Petition 2002/60 of William Fraser Shand and 28 others

Bills referred to select committees

The Crimes and Misconduct (Overseas Operations) Bill was referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

The Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill was referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee with a report due by 25 November 2003.

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

Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week due to the House being in urgency. The committee will next meet on Thursday, 14 August to further consider the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act (Abolition of Restrictions) Amendment Bill. The Ministry of Economic Development will also brief the committee about the Growth and Innovation Framework Indicators report. The briefing will be open to the public.

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

The committee met on Wednesday, 6 August and Friday, 8 August to hear evidence on the New Organisms and Other Matters Bill. Next week it will meet on Wednesday, 13 August to begin consideration of the New Organisms and Other Matters Bill.

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 13 August to consider the Taxation (Annual Rates, GST, Trans-Tasman Imputation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

Submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates, GST, Trans-Tasman Imputation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill are currently being received. The closing date for these is Friday, 15 August 2003. You can get more information at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/programme/committees/submissions/ and at http://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/.

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

The committee met this week to hear submissions on the Immigration Amendment Bill. These hearings are now complete. The committee also considered the Counter-Terrorism Bill. Further consideration will be given to the Immigration Amendment Bill at meetings on Tuesday, 12 August and Thursday, 14 August.

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

Next week the committee will meet on Thursday, 14 August in Wellington to consider the petition of Dr George Paterson Barton Vaitoa Sa to repeal the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982. The committee will also further consider the Auckland War Memorial Museum Site Empowering Bill and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Bill.

The committee is still calling for submissions on the Border Security Bill. Submissions close on 22 August 2003. The bill seeks to amend the Customs and Excise Act 1996 and the Immigration Act 1987, to enhance border security and to improve the information processes of the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Immigration Service. Proposed amendments aim to strengthen controls in respect of persons unlawfully entering or exiting New Zealand in remote locations, and provide for automated pre-boarding checks on travellers to New Zealand.

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

This week the committee received a briefing from the Ministry of Health on primary health organisation implementation. The committee continued its consideration of the Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill and also its inquiry into the proposal to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products.

On Friday, 8 August the committee presented its report on its inquiry into the public health strategies related to cannabis use and the most appropriate legal status, and on a number of petitions. The cannabis inquiry report can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops and can be viewed at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport/Default.htm.

The committee will meet next week to further consider the Health (Screening Programmes) Amendment Bill and the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill. It will also receive a briefing on balanced score card reports. This will be from 9.30 am to 10.00 am on Wednesday, 12 August in Room G.002, Parliament House, and will be open to the public.

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

The committee met on Wednesday, 6 August to consider the Supreme Court Bill, and its inquiry into the 2002 General Election. At the next meeting, on Wednesday, 13 August it will continue to consider the Supreme Court Bill and the inquiry into the 2002 General Election.

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

The committee met this week on Wednesday, 6 August when it heard a submission and continued consideration of the Corrections Bill, considered the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill, the Telecommunications (Interception Capability) Bill, and the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Bill. It also considered for the first time the Police Complaints Authority (Conditional Name Protection) Amendment Bill, and the Sex Offenders Registry Bill.

The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 12 August to continue consideration of the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill and the Telecommunications (Interception Capability) Bill. The committee will receive a briefing on the former Department of Corrections ‘Emergency Response Unit’, from 9.30 am to 10.30 am, and will also hear another submission on the Corrections Bill, from 11.30 am to 12 noon. Both the briefing and the submission will be open to the public in Room G.007, Parliament House.

The committee is calling for submissions on two bills. The first is the Police Complaints Authority (Conditional Name Protection) Amendment Bill. This bill aims to give individual police officers involved in firearms incidents while carrying out their duty, conditional name protection until the Police Complaints Authority investigation is completed. The aim of the bill is to decrease the risk that in a small country like New Zealand, police officers or their families could be endangered by having their names published after such an incident.

The second is the Sex Offenders Registry Bill. The purpose is to establish a registry of persons who have been convicted of serious sexual offences, and to include mechanisms to keep the registry up to date, in order that the police have reliable information available to them at all times on the whereabouts of sex offenders. The bill aims to assist the Police to investigate such offences, and speed up the elimination of possible suspects when sex offences are committed. Submissions for both of these bills close on 17 September 2003. Copies 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. Submissions should be to Tracey Rayner, Clerk of Committee, Law and Order Committee Secretariat, Parliament House, Wellington.

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

The committee will next meet on Monday, 11 August, to hear submissions on the Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2) (relating to dog control proposals). The meeting will be in Room G.003, Parliament House, and will be open to the public. The committee will also meet on Thursday, 14 August, to further consider the Forests Amendment Bill, the Christchurch City Council (Robert McDougall Gallery) Land Vesting Bill, the Masterton District Council (Montfort Trimble Foundation) Bill and the inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000. The meeting will not be open to the public.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

Neither the subcommittee nor the whole committee met this week due to the House sitting in urgency. The subcommittee plans to further consider the report of the Inquiry into the Crown Forestry Rental Trust on Thursday, 14 August. The main committee will consider the Ngati Tama Claims Settlement Bill on the same day.

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

The committee did not meet this week because of urgency. Next week on Thursday, 14 August the committee will further consider the Wine Bill, the New Zealand Horticultural Export Authority Amendment Bill (No 2) and the inquiry into the administration and management of the scampi fishery.

Regulations Review (Michael Wilkinson, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will meet on Wednesday, 13 August to continue its regular scrutiny of new Government regulations.

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week as the House was meeting under urgency. The committee will continue hearing evidence on the Families Commission Bill at its next meeting on Thursday, 14 August.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

On Friday, 8 August the committee resumed hearing submissions on the Holidays Bill and the Holidays (Four Weeks Annual Leave) Amendment Bill at the Centra Auckland Airport Hotel.

Next week the committee will travel to Christchurch to hear further submissions at the Antarctic Centre in Christchurch on Thursday, 14 August from 10.00 am to 1.25 pm.

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

Commerce Business Law Reform Bill (7 August 2003) Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act (Abolition of Restrictions) Amendment Bill
(4 September 2003)

Finance and Expenditure Taxation (Annual Rates, GST, Trans-Tasman Imputation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (15 August 2003)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Amendment Bill (31 October 2003)

Government Administration Border Security Bill (22 August 2003)

Justice and Electoral Care of Children Bill (25 September 2003) Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill (3 October 2003)

Law and Order Courts and Criminal Matters Bill (6 August 2003) Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Bill (6 August 2003) Police Complaints Authority (Conditional Name Protection) Amendment Bill (17 September 2003) Sex Offenders Registry Bill (17 September 2003)

Transport and Industrial Relations Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (3 September 2003) Railways Bill (1 October 2003)

© Scoop Media