Select Committee Business

From 5 December to 12 December 2003

Committee meetings

Fourteen committee meetings were held this week, 13 in the parliamentary complex and one in Christchurch. There was one site visit.

Reports presented

(available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport)

Commerce

Interim report on the Inquiry into the New Zealand electricity industry

Education and Science

Inquiry into decile funding in New Zealand State and integrated schools (I.2B)

2002/03 financial review of the National Library of New Zealand

Finance and Expenditure

2002/03 financial review of the Treasury and the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the year ended 30 June 2003

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

International treaty examination of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Government Administration

2002/03 financial review of Statistics New Zealand

2002/03 financial review of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs

2002/03 financial review of the State Services Commission

Maritime Security Bill (80-2)

Health

Inquiry into the proposal to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products and petition 2002/2 of Sue Kedgley and 30,457 others (I.6D)

2002/03 financial review of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board

2002/03 financial review of the Ministry of Health

Justice and Electoral

2002/03 financial review of the Parliamentary Counsel Office

Law and Order

2002/03 financial review of the Serious Fraud Office

Corrections Bill (34-1)

Local Government and Environment

Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill (48-2)

Social Services

Briefing on the incidence and management of staff fraud in the Ministry of Social Development

Standing Orders

Review of Standing Orders (I.18B)

Bills referred to select committees

The Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill was referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee with a report due by 15 March 2004.

The Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill was referred to the Primary Production Committee with a report due by 1 March 2004.

The State Sector Amendment Bill (No 3) was referred to the Education and Science Committee with a report due by 19 March 2004.

The Employment Relations Law Reform Bill was referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee.

The Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill was referred to the Education and Science Committee.

The Maori Fisheries Bill was referred to a committee to consider fisheries and other sea-related legislation. Membership of this committee to be notified shortly.

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 met on 11 December to hear evidence on the financial review of New Zealand Post Limited. The committee also heard evidence on the inquiry into the New Zealand electricity industry.

The committee will next meet in the new year.

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

The committee met on 10 December to consider the Education (Disestablishment of Early Childhood Development Board) Amendment Bill, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Transitional Provisions and Controls) Amendment Bill, and a petition requesting automatic entitlement to G3 equivalency for previously qualifying teachers. The committee also reported its financial review of the National Library of New Zealand.

The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 28 January 2004.

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

The committee met this week on 10 December to consider the financial reviews of the Department of Labour and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and the December Monetary Policy Statement

The committee does not intend to meet next week.

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

The committee did not meet this week.

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

The committee met this week in Christchurch and Wellington to continue hearing evidence on the Building Bill.

On 9 December the committee reported its financial reviews of the State Services Commission, Statistics New Zealand, and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

The committee also presented its report on the Maritime Security Bill. Key amendments recommended by the committee were to protect freedom of speech, to ensure reasonable force is used only to detain persons and that such persons are not detained unduly, and to ensure that the regulation-making powers granted to the Minister are subject to adequate checks and balances.

The committee next meets in February 2004.

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

This week the committee heard further evidence from the New Zealand Defence Force on its inquiry into the health effects of Agent Orange. The committee received a briefing from the Audit Office on its recent report on the national cervical screening programme and heard evidence from the New Zealand Blood Service on its financial review. It also received a briefing on the classification of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

This week the committee released its report on its inquiry into the proposal to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate therapeutic products. The committee makes 34 recommendations in its report. The main finding of the report is that a proposal to regulate complementary healthcare products jointly with Australia should not proceed. The Government must respond to the committee¡¯s report by 11 March 2004. The committee also presented its report on the financial review of the Ministry of Health.

The therapeutic products inquiry report can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. All committee reports can be viewed at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport/Default.htm

Next week the committee will meet to further consider the classification of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. It will also consider other business. This meeting will not be open to the public.

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

The main focus of the committee¡¯s meeting on 10 December was the hearing of evidence on petitions presented respectively by Lynley Hood, Dr Donald Brash and 807 others, and Gaye Davidson and 3,346 others requesting the House of Representatives establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the investigation and legal processes relating to the Christchurch Civic Cr¨¨che case. Those who spoke in support of the request were Lynley Hood, Dr George Barton QC, Bernard Robertson, and Dr Maryanne Garry. The Ministry of Justice perspective was provided by Chief Legal Counsel Val Sim, from the Office of Legal Counsel.

At this meeting, the committee also considered the financial review of the Parliamentary Counsel Office, the Care of Children Bill, and heard evidence on the Judicial Matters Bill.

The committee¡¯s final meeting for the year will be on 17 December in Room G.003, Parliament House. The meeting will be open to the public from 10.00 am to 11.40 am to complete the hearing of evidence on the Care of Children Bill.

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

The committee presented two reports this week, the financial review of the Serious Fraud Office and the Corrections Bill. The Corrections Bill report notes that the committee was unable to reach agreement on whether the bill should be passed, and the bill is being reported back to the House unamended. The chairperson of the committee outlined that comments on the bill can be found in the committee¡¯s report, which is in four parts. Mr Gallagher said, ¡®The report is in four parts, first with the Government members¡¯ views (Labour and Progressive) and the main amendments they would like to propose, and then the views of National, New Zealand First and United Future.¡¯

The committee is meeting next Wednesday, where it will continue consideration of the financial reviews of the Department for Courts, the New Zealand Police, and the Department of Corrections. This will be the last meeting for the year.

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

The committee met on 11 December to consider the inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000 and subsequent actions taken. The committee will not meet again this year.

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

On 11 December the committee considered its financial review of the Ministry of M¨¡ori Development (Te Puni K¨­kiri), and hosted a delegation from the Council of Ethnic Minorities Committee, National Assembly of Vietnam.

The committee will not meet again this year.

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

On 11 December the committee held its final meeting for the year. It considered and heard evidence on the financial review of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill has been referred to the committee. The aim of the bill is to amend the Resource Management Act 1999 to extend the expiry of the current moratorium on coastal permit applications for aquacultural activities (i.e. marine farming, spat catching or both) from 25 March 2004 to 31 December 2004 and to make consequential amendments to the Act. The committee is required to report back to the House by 1 March 2004. The deadline for submissions is 2 February 2004.

The committee wishes to thank those who made submissions and gave evidence on the items of business that the committee considered during 2003.

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

This week the committee heard evidence from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and from Telecom New Zealand on aspects of the Telecommunications Information Privacy Code. The committee will meet next week to continue its scrutiny of new Government regulations.

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

The committee met on 11 December to consider the financial reviews of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, the Ministry of Housing, the Housing New Zealand Corporation and the Ministry of Social Development. The committee will next meet in February 2004.

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

At the meeting on 11 December the Committee heard evidence on the financial review of Transit New Zealand. It also considered the financial review of the Ministry of Transport.

The Committee considered the petition of Ross Sutherland and 584 others that requests the Government to pass legislation to safeguard the long-term viability of Paraparaumu Airport as a full operational facility, including maintaining the existing runways at their current lengths. Evidence was heard on this petition from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

The Employment Relations Law Reform Bill has been referred to the committee with a 6 month report date. The closing date for submissions is 27 February 2004.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Commerce

Electricity and Gas Industries Bill (30 January 2004)

Sale of Liquor Amendment Bill (No 2) (30 January 2004)

Education and Science

Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Transitional Provisions and Controls) Amendment Bill (16 January 2004)

State Sector Amendment Bill (No 2) (30 January 2004)

Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill (13 February 2004)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Mercenary Activities (Prohibition) Bill (31 January 2004)

Visiting Forces Bill (13 February 2004)

Inquiry into New Zealand¡¯s relationship with Tonga (28 March 2004)

Justice and Electoral

Parole Bill (20 February 2004)

Local Government and Environment

Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill (9 February 2004)

Primary Production

Fisheries Amendment Bill (15 December 2003)

Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill (2 February 2004)

Standing Orders

Members of Parliament (Pecuniary Interests) Bill (27 February 2004)

Transport and Industrial Relations

Employment Relations Law Reform Bill (27 February 2004)

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