Select Committee Business

From 5 November to 12 November 2004

Committee meetings Twelve committee meetings were held this week, all in the parliamentary complex.

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

Finance and Expenditure 2003/04 financial review of Ministry of Economic Development 2003/04 financial review of The Treasury and the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the year ended 30 June 2004

Government Administration 2003/04 financial review of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC)

Local Government and Environment Petition 1999/0019 of John Lockwood Wheeler, on behalf of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand

Officers of Parliament Reappointment of an auditor to audit the financial statements of the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General

Primary Production International Treaty Examination of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 2000

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 next meets on 18 November to consider and hear evidence on the petition of John Clifford Hurley and 9145 others. This will be open to the public. The committee will also be considering a number of other items of business.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 10 November to consider the Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill, the Inquiry into Teacher Education, and the petition of Lance Cottam and 7509 others. The committee is currently calling for submissions on the Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill, copies of which can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. The bill has a closing date for submissions of 19 November 2004. Submissions will be heard in Auckland on 25 November at the Gladstone Room, Kingsgate Hotel Parnell, 92-102 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland. The committee next meets on 17 November to hear evidence on the financial reviews of the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office. The meeting will be open to the public from 10 am to 12.30 pm.

Finance and Expenditure (Lesley Ferguson, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to consider the Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill. The bill amends the Customs and Excise Act 1996 to increase the rates of excise duty and excise-equivalent duty on motor spirits by 5 cents per litre (excluding GST) from 1 April 2005. The bill also provides for excise duty and excise-equivalent duty on motor spirits to be indexed to inflation from 1 April 2006. Indexation will be by reference to the prescribed amounts of those duties. It is intended that all of the increases in duties on motor spirits will be paid to the National Land Transport Fund by amendments to the appropriate regulations. The committee has called for submissions on the bill, with a closing date of 26 November 2004. Submissions should be addressed to Clerk of Committee, Finance and Expenditure Committee Secretariat, Parliament House, WELLINGTON. The committee requires 25 copies of each submission. In addition, the committee deliberated on the Crown financial statements and the 2003/04 financial reviews of the Treasury and the Ministry of Economic Development. The committee reports on these items of business are available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport/Default.htm. Next week, the committee will meet to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial reviews of Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee did not meet. The committee will continue the 2003/04 financial reviews on 18 November when it hears evidence from the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence.

Government Administration (Nerina Bennett, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 11 November to consider the Identity (Citizenship and Travel Documents) Bill. The committee also reported on the 2003/04 financial review of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC). The committee reported that it had no matters to bring to the attention of the House. Next week the committee will meet to consider the Identity Bill and to conduct hearings of evidence on the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, and the State Services Commission 2003/04 financial reviews. The committee will also consider its 2003/04 financial reviews of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Archives New Zealand.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz) Next week the committee will hear evidence on the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill (No 3), from 10.30 am to 11.30 am in room G.011, Parliament House. The hearing of evidence will be open to the public. The committee will also consider other items of business.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 9 November to consider the Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. It then met on 10 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the Ministry of Justice, and to consider the Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority Elections. It also met on 11 November to further consider the Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. The committee will meet next on Wednesday, 17 November to consider the range of petitions currently before it, the Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority Elections, and the Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to consider and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the New Zealand Police. The committee will next meet on 17 November to consider and hear evidence on the Criminal Procedure Bill from the New Zealand Howard League for Penal Reform and the Auckland Council for Civil Liberties. The meeting will be open to the public for the hearings from 9.30am to 10.10am. The committee will also further consider the 2003/04 financial review of the Serious Fraud Office.

Local Government and Environment (Beth Watson, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz) To honour of the return of the Unknown Warrior, the committee did not meet this week. The next meeting of the committee will be on 18 November when it will continue its consideration of the Wellington Regional Council (Water Board Functions) Bill.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee will meet on 16 November to consider the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill and the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill. It will also meet on 18 November to hear evidence on the financial review of Te Puni Kokiri and to further consider the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill and the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill. Part of the latter meeting will be open to the public. The committee is calling for public submissions on the Ngâti Tûwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill. The bill aims to record the acknowledgements and apology between the Crown and Ngâti Tûwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) in the deed of settlement dated 6 June 2003 between the Crown and Ngâti Tûwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), and to give effect to settlement of historical claims agreed by the Crown and Ngâti Tûwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) in that deed. Copies of the bill can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops.

The closing date for submissions is Monday, 20 December 2004. The committee requires 20 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include information of a private or personal nature 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 submission should state this clearly, and provide a daytime telephone contact number. Submissions should be addressed to the Mâori Affairs Committee Secretariat, Parliament House, Wellington. For further details, contact Miles Reay on (04) 471 9043, or email the secretariat at SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met twice this week to give further consideration on the Aquaculture Reform Bill. There was no meeting on 11 November, because of the Parliamentary ceremonies for the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Next week the committee will meet three times, from 16 – 18 November, to give further consideration to the issues arising from the hearings on the Aquaculture Reform Bill. On 16 and 17 November, the committee will meet from 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm. On 18 November, the committee will meet from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm and 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm to consider the bill. Also, on 18 November, from 10.00 am to 11.00 am, the committee will consider and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial Review of the Ministry of Fisheries.

Regulations Review (Michael Wilkinson, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee continued its scrutiny of new Government regulations. Next week the committee will continue this scrutiny and will also investigate a number of deemed regulations. The committee will also consider the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3).

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 10 November to consider further the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Bill (No 4), and the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill. The committee released the following press release on the Charities Bill: The Social Services Committee is considering further changes to the Charities Bill announced the Chairperson of the Social Services Committee, Georgina Beyer, today.

This bill, as introduced, seeks to establish a Charities Commission to register and monitor charitable entities and approved donees to ensure that those entities receiving tax relief continue to carry out charitable purposes and provide a clear public benefit. “The Committee has now spent considerable time hearing evidence from many submitters on the Bill and agrees with submitters that changes to the bill must be considered”, said the Chairperson.

The Minister in charge of the Bill, Hon Margaret Wilson, recently announced a number of policy changes that the Government is proposing to make to the Bill. “As the committee needs to report this Bill back to the House by 10 December 2004 for it to proceed through its remaining stages there is limited time for the committee to complete its consideration”, said the Chairperson.

“To do this, the Committee has authorised the advisers on the Bill to consult directly with a number of sector organisations. This consultation will involve key groups identified by the Committee from organisations that made submissions on the Bill and will occur in November. The feedback from this consultation will inform the Committee’s consideration of the Bill”, the Chairperson noted.

Depending on the complexity of the feedback the Committee receives as a result of the consultation, the proposed changes are likely to either be made to the Bill when the Committee reports to the House or by way of a supplementary order paper following that report.

“The Committee welcomes further input into the Bill via this consultation process”, concluded the Chairperson. For further information contact: Graham Hill Clerk of the Committee Social Services Committee (04) 471 9533 Graham.Hill@parliament.govt.nz At the next meeting on 18 November the committee will consider further the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial reviews of the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Housing, and the Housing New Zealand Corporation. The committee will also hear evidence on the 2004 Social Report.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz) The committee did not meet this week. A meeting is scheduled for the morning of 18 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial reviews of the Land Transport Safety Authority, Transfund New Zealand, and Transit New Zealand. This meeting will be open to the public during the hearings of evidence between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm. The meeting will continue, in committee, during the afternoon for consideration of the Land Transport Amendment Bill.

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

Commerce New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Amendment Bill (6 December 2004) Education and Science Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill (19 November 2004) Finance and Expenditure Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill (26 November 2004) Government Administration Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dogs’ Tails) Bill (28 February 2005) Maori Affairs Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill (20 December 2004) Regulations Review Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) (12 November 2004) Social Services Social Security (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill (31 January 2005)

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 ph: 471 9569, fax: 499 0486, or at louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 12 November 2004

ENDS

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