Select Committee Business
From 29 March to 2 April 2004
Committee meetings

There were 7 committee meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

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

Commerce

- 2002/03 financial review of Radio New Zealand Limited

Education and Science

- 2002/03 financial review of Industrial Research Limited

- 2002/03 financial review of the New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited

Finance and Expenditure

- Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Monetary Policy Statement March 2004

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- Visiting Forces Bill (89-2)

Health

- 2002/03 financial review of the Capital and Coast District Health Board

- 2002/03 financial review of the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac)

Bills referred to select committees

The Charities Bill was referred to the Social Services Committee with a report due 29 September 2004.

The Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill was referred to the Law and Order Committee with a report due 3 May 2004.

Committee notes

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

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

The committee next meets on Wednesday, 7 April to further its consideration of the 2002/03 financial reviews of Television New Zealand Ltd, and the Broadcasting Standards Authority. It will also continue consideration of the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill. The committee will meet again on Thursday 8 April to progress a number of other financial reviews. The committee will not meet over the April adjournment.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Wednesday, 24 March and completed two financial review reports. It also started hearing evidence on the Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill.

The committee's next meeting is Wednesday 7 April, when it will consider the financial reviews of New Zealand Teachers Council, Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited, and Learning Media Limited. It will also hear evidence on the 2002/03 financial reviews of the Tertiary Education Commission and Career Services.

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

The Finance and Expenditure Committee did not meet this week.

The committee next meets on Wednesday, 7 April 2004 to consider the statutory draft of the Auditor--General's annual work plan 2004/2005 and the draft Standard Estimates Questionnaire 2004/2005. The committee will also meet with M J Nolan and member of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service in the Dail Eireann, Ireland

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz,)

The committee met on 30 March to hear submissions on the Maori Fisheries Bill. Next week the committee meets in Rotorua at the Millennium Hotel on 7 April and in Gisborne at the Gisborne Hotel on 8 April 2003, to continue hearing submissions on this bill. These meetings will be open to the public.

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

The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee did not meet this week due to urgency. The committee meets next week to hear further evidence on its inquiry into the role of human rights in foreign policy. The committee will also consider the Mercenary Activities (Prohibition) Bill, its inquiry into New Zealand's relationship with Tonga, and the petition of Wallace Drummond.

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

This week the committee met to further consider the Building and Architects Bills. The committee will continue this consideration at its next meeting on Thursday 6 April. The Office of the Controller and Auditor-General will brief the committee at this meeting on its report entitled The State Services Commission Capability to Recognise and Address Issues for Maori. In regard to the committee's other work, submissions are still being called for on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill with a closing date of 30 April 2004.

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

This week the committee presented two financial review reports which can be viewed at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport/Default.htm

Next week the committee will hear evidence from the Federation of Women's Health Councils on the petition of Debbie and Tim Short and 124,000 others, which seeks an extension to the breast cancer screening programme. This will be open to the public from 10.45 am to 11.00 am in room G.002, Parliament House. The committee will also hear evidence on the agreement between the New Zealand and Australian Governments to establish a joint scheme for the regulation of therapeutic products. This will be open to the public from 11.30 am to 12.30 pm.

The Government presented this treaty to the House on 30 March 2004. The Health Committee must examine the treaty and its accompanying national interest analysis and report back to the House on any issues it considers should be brought to its attention, including matters raised by the national interest analysis.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Monday 29 March to consider the Care of Children Bill and the Judicial Matters Bill.

The committee's next meeting will be on Wednesday 7 April, when it will consider and hear evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill, and also consider the Sex Offenders' Registry Bill, the Care of Children Bill, and the Judicial Matters Bill. The meeting will be open to the public for the hearing of evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill from 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm.

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

The committee did not meet this week. It will meet next week where it will consider the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Bill, the Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill, an International Treaty Examination for the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, and a petition.

The committee is calling for submissions on two bills: the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill.

The Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) has a closing date for submissions of 14 April 2004. The bill is the first review of sexual crimes contained in the Crimes Act 1961 and aims to update the law to reflect more recent changes in criminal behaviour and social attitudes towards sexual matters.

The Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill also has a closing date for submissions of 14 April 2004. This bill amends the Police Complaints Authority Act 1988 to allow the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct (Commission of Inquiry) to fulfil its terms of reference to inquire into the adequacy of investigations which have been carried out by the Police on behalf of the Police Complaints Authority (the Authority), relating to investigations concerning complaints alleging sexual assault by members of the Police or by associates of the Police, or by both.

The bill specifically amends the secrecy provisions of the Act so that the Commission of Inquiry is not prevented from gaining access to information needed in order to carry out its functions. The amendment to:

- section 32 provides an exception to the usual requirement placed on the Authority, and every person holding office or appointment under the Authority, to maintain secrecy in respect of all matters that come to their knowledge in the exercise of their functions, and provides for:

a. information created by the Police investigating on behalf of the Authority, to be disclosed in order to comply with a direction or order of the Commission of Inquiry

b. any member of the Police who investigated a complaint or matter received or notified to or that otherwise came to the attention of the Authority (other than former members of the Police who are currently staff members or employees of the Authority) to disclose any matter (other than a restricted matter) in order to comply with a summons issued by the Commission of Inquiry

- section 33 provides for any members of the Police (and former members of the Police who are not currently staff members or employees of the Authority) involved in the investigation of complaints received or notified to the Authority to give evidence in proceedings before the Commission of Inquiry.

Copies of both 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 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. 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 as follows:

Tracey Rayner, Clerk of Committee

Law and Order Committee Secretariat

Parliament House

WELLINGTON

Local Government and Environment (Peter Hurndell, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not met this week

The committee next meets on Thursday, 8 April 2004 to continue its inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000 and the subsequent actions taken.

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

The committee did not meet this week and is not meeting next week.

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

The committee did not meet this week due to urgency. The committee next meets on Thursday, 6 May 2004 where it will give further consideration to the Meat Board Restructuring Bill and the 2002/03 financial reviews of AgriQuality Limited and ASURE New Zealand Limited.

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

This week the committee continued with its consideration of the regulation-making powers in the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill. The committee will next meet on 7 April to continue its scrutiny of new Government regulations.

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

The committee did not meet this week. Next week the committee will receive briefings on its inquiry into factors contributing to poor outcomes for children and consider two petitions.

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

The committee met on Wednesday 31 March 2004 to consider the petition of Ross Sutherland and 584 others, which relates to Paraparaumu Airport.

The committee next meets on 8 April to consider the 2002/03 financial reviews of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, and the Civil Aviation Authority followed by consideration of the Railways Bill and, the Sutherland petition. The meeting will be open to the public from 11.00 am to 12.50 pm to hear further submissions on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Finance and Expenditure

- Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill (2 April 2004)

Government Administration

- Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) (2 April 2004)

- Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill (30 April 2004)

Justice and Electoral

- Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill (2 April 2004)

Law and Order

- Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) (14 April 2004)

- Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill (14 April 2004)

Social Services

- Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Bill (23 April 2004)

- Charities Bill (closing date yet to be determined)

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:

Louise Sparrer

Senior Parliamentary Officer

louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 2 April 2004.

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