QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Finance: Did he consult Rt Hon Winston Peters prior to reappointing Dr Bollard and signing an unchanged Policy Targets Agreement earlier this year; if not, why not?

2. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology: How is the Government’s research funding contributing to sustainability and economic transformation?

3. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Health: Why did he say, regarding the conflict of interest allegations at the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board that, “I feel anxious about troubling the Auditor-General over something which is almost nothing.”, and is he confident that the investigation headed by Syd Bradley, who was appointed to chair the Canterbury District Health Board by Hon Annette King with whom he reportedly has a “strong relationship”, has the powers to appropriately investigate these matters?

4. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister for Economic Development: What is the Government doing to support the development of the New Zealand film industry?

5. KATHERINE RICH to the Minister of Education: Does he back the recent decision of the Teachers Council Disciplinary Tribunal to allow an art teacher who posted hard-core pornographic pictures of himself and two women on internet sex sites, with messages for girls “the younger the better” to contact him, to continue teaching; if so, why?

6. LESLEY SOPER to the Minister of Energy: What is the Government doing to ensure that social responsibilities are taken seriously by electricity companies?

7. PHIL HEATLEY to the Minister of Housing: Does he have confidence in Housing New Zealand Corporation; if so, why?

8. PITA PARAONE to the Minister of Finance: Does he still believe that overseas buyers buying residential property are not one of the major drivers of the increase in housing costs, especially given that the Reserve Bank, in its June Monetary Policy Statement, said it could not confidently say what the impact of foreign buyers on the property market was, but that it was “quite influential” in some areas; if so, on what information does he base his belief?

9. JUDITH COLLINS to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does he stand by his statement in the House on 22 May 2007 in relation to the single core benefit that “phase two will be introduced when Cabinet makes appropriate further decisions.”?

10. HONE HARAWIRA to the Minister of Local Government: He aha atu nga whakamaherehere kua whiwhi i a ia mai i te Kaunihera a-Rohe o Muriwhenua whai muri i ta te Pirimia i ki ra, whiriwhiria, wanangahia e nga kaunihera a-rohe nga take, ki hea nga taone tu ai?

* Translation: What advice, if any, has he received from the Far North District Council following the Prime Minister’s reported comments that local councils need to talk through issues about where towns are situated?

11. JOHN CARTER to the Minister of Local Government: Does he agree with the President of Local Government New Zealand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to local government issues in New Zealand?

12. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister for Food Safety: Does she have any concerns about the safety of food imported from China, given a report earlier this year by the Asian Development Bank and World Health Organisation which concluded that “Unsafe food in the People’s Republic of China remains a serious threat to public health.”; if not why not?

ENDS

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