23 December 2004

Select Committee Business - 17 Dec to 23 Dec 2004

This is the final press release for the year. The first release for next year will be on 21 January 2005.

Committee meetings There were no committee meetings held this week.

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

Education and Science Financial review inquiry into Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Social Services 2003/04 financial review of Department of Child, Youth and Family Services 2003/04 financial review of Ministry of Social Development

Bills referred to select committees The Fiordland Marine Management Bill was referred to the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee with a report due 4 April 2005. The Gambling Amendment Bill was referred to the Government Administration Committee with a report due 1 March 2005. The Coroners Bill was referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee with a report due 15 June 2005. The Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill was referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee with a report due 4 April 2005.

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 will next meet on 3 February 2005. The committee is advertising for submissions on the Securities Legislation Bill, the closing date for submissions is Friday, 18 February 2005.

The Securities Legislation Bill is designed to ensure confidence in, and promote the efficiency of, New Zealand’s capital markets by increasing the effectiveness of securities, securities trading, and takeovers laws. This bill is an omnibus bill making amendments to the Securities Act 1978, the Securities Markets Act 1988, the Takeovers Act 1993, and the Takeovers Code in force under the Takeovers Act 1993, with related amendments to other enactments.

The principal matters addressed in the bill are as follows: second tier application issues substantial security holders’ disclosure market manipulation insider trading investment adviser, investment broker law penalties and remedies Submissions should be addressed to Anne Barr, Commerce Committee, Parliament House, Wellington. The committee requires 20 copies of each submission 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

Constitutional Arrangements The House has agreed to establish a committee to undertake a review of New Zealand’s existing constitutional arrangements. The review will identify and describe: New Zealand’s constitutional development since 1840 The key elements in New Zealand’s constitutional structure, and the relationships between those elements The sources of New Zealand’s constitution The processes other countries have followed in undertaking a range of constitutional reforms, and The processes which it would be appropriate for New Zealand to follow if significant constitutional reforms were considered in the future. The committee will consist of seven members as follows: New Zealand Labour 4, Green Party 1, ACT New Zealand 1, and United Future 1. The committee has yet to meet.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz) The committee has presented its financial review inquiry report on Te Wananga o Aotearoa. This report can be viewed at: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Content/SelectCommitteeReports/esfrinqtewananga.pdf The committee will next meet on 2 February 2005.

Finance and Expenditure (Lesley Ferguson, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee has been referred the Overseas Investment Bill and the Taxation (Base Maintenance and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill for consideration, and has called for submissions on these bills, both with a closing date of 28 February 2005. The Overseas Investment Bill introduces changes to the way that overseas investment is regulated in New Zealand. It modifies aspects of the existing overseas investment regime established by the Overseas Investment Act 1973 and Overseas Investment Regulations 1995. The bill abolishes the Overseas Investment Commission. The bill can be accessed on the website http://www.treasury.govt.nz/release/fir/.

The Taxation (Base Maintenance and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill amends the Income Tax Act 1994 by limiting the extent to which foreign banks can debt fund their New Zealand operations and offshore investment out of New Zealand. Other amendments introduce a temporary exemption, for 6 years, of income earned by foreign companies from offshore seismic surveys of possible petroleum fields and from offshore drilling of wells for petroleum. In addition, amendments are proposed to address concerns raised about tax deductions available for business environmental expenditure. Amendments to the Tax Administration Act 1994 will limit the right of the Inland Revenue Commissioner to require taxpayers and their tax advisors to provide documents that give instruction to a tax advisor or give tax advice to the taxpayer.

In addition, the committee has also called for submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2005 with a closing date of 4 February 2005. The Statement focuses on the priorities for the upcoming Budget by outlining the overarching policy goals that will guide Budget decisions and the policy areas that the Budget will focus on. The Statement also indicates how the Budget will accord with the Government’s short and long-term fiscal intentions. The statement can be accessed on the website http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budgetpolicy/2005/.

Any submission made on these items of business should be addressed to Clerk of Committee, Finance and Expenditure Committee Secretariat, Parliament Buildings, WELLINGTON. The committee requires 25 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 the committee, as the committee usually releases submissions 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 website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. The committee will not meet again until next year.

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

The committee is inviting public submissions on the Fiordland Marine Management Bill. This bill gives effect to aspects of the Fiordland Marine Conservation Strategy, developed by the Guardians of Fiordland’s Fisheries and Marine Environment. The Bill will recognise the importance of Fiordland’s marine environment and resources, and will implement measures specifically designed to facilitate the integrated management of these special features for future generations to use and enjoy. Copies of the bill can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. The closing date for submissions is 11 February 2005. For guidance on making a submission, contact the committee secretariat, or view the publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

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

The Deputy Chairperson of the Justice and Electoral Committee is inviting public submissions on the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill. The closing date for submissions is Friday, 4 February 2005.

The purposes of the bill are to: restrict and guide the awarding of compensation sought by specified claims in order to help to ensure that the remedy of compensation is reserved for exceptional cases and used only if, and to the extent that, it is necessary to provide effective redress establish, require payments into, and regulate the operation of, a victims’ claims trust bank account provide a procedure for the making and determination of victims’ claims suspend the running of limitation periods for certain claims by victims amend the Legal Services Act 2000 to facilitate the granting of legal aid in respect of victims’ claims proceedings under subpart 2 of Part 2 of this bill amend the Privacy Act 1993 to enable the Ministry of Justice to have access to police records on offender identity and victim identity for the purpose of providing assistance to victims in accordance with this bill amend the Victims’ Rights Act 2002 to require the Secretary for Justice to request, for the purposes of a notice under section 19 of this bill, the current address (including the full name) of a victim who has asked for notice of certain matters under that Act amend consequentially the Human Rights Act 1993, the Limitation Act 1950, and the Privacy Act 1993.

The Justice and Electoral Committee is inviting public submissions on the Coroners Bill. The closing date for submissions is Friday, 18 March 2005.

The key elements of the bill include: establishing the office of chief coroner to provide leadership and co-ordination moving to a smaller number of mostly full-time, legally qualified coroners ensuring family members are notified at significant steps of the coronial process introducing a specific regime for retention and release of body parts and bodily samples enhancing inquiry and inquest processes. Copies of these 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 the committee, as submissions are usually released to the public by the committee. 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: Helena Strange Justice and Electoral Committee Secretariat Parliament House WELLINGTON

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz) The next meeting of the committee will be on 3 February 2005. The committee has provisionally scheduled consideration of the Land Transport Amendment Bill at this meeting.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Commerce Securities Legislation Bill (18 February 2005)
Education and Science Education Amendment Bill (4 March 2005) Finance and Expenditure Overseas Investment Bill (28 February 2005) Taxation (Base Maintenance and Miscellanous Provisions) Bill (28 February 2005) Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Fiordland Marine Management Bill (11 February 2005) Government Administration Gambling Amendment Bill (31 January 2005) Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dogs’ Tails) Bill (28 February 2005) Health Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill (No 3) SOP 298 (31 January 2005) Justice and Electoral Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill (4 February 2005) Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority Elections (25 February 2005) Coroners Bill (18 March 2005) Local Government and Environment Resource Management and Electricity Legislation Amendment Bill (16 February 2005) 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
at louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz Compiled in the Select Committee Office,

Office of the Clerk, 23 December 2004

ENDS

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