Questions For Oral Answer - Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Questions to Ministers
1. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister for the Environment: Will he act to ban the toxic insecticide, endosulfan, which has been
prohibited in the European Union, but which is still sprayed on tomatoes and other food crops, as well as parks and
playing fields in New Zealand; if not, why not?
2. JOHN KEY to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Racing;
if so, why?
3. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister of Conservation: Will she undertake a comprehensive review of her department’s use of
aerial 1080 drops, following the news that seven kea have died after eating that deadly poison?
4. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Justice: Does she stand by her statement “Government departments are there to
inform the public legitimately about what programmes are available for them. They are not there to electioneer on behalf
of any political party.”; if not, why not?
5. LESLEY SOPER to the Minister of Health: What recent reports has he received on investment in health infrastructure?
6. SIMON POWER to the Minister of Justice: Does she stand by the statements of the Prime Minister when launching the
Effective Interventions package in 2006 that it was designed to “address the fast growing rate of imprisonment New
Zealand has been experiencing” and to “make our communities safer”?
7. Dr PITA SHARPLES to the Minister of Education: Is he aware that the IHC has taken a complaint to the Human Rights
Commission, claiming that Government action creates barriers to disabled students learning on the same basis as other
students, and how can such action occur when the Education Act 1989 requires that people who have special educational
needs have the same rights to enrol and receive education in state schools as people who do not?
8. ANNE TOLLEY to the Minister of Education: Can he confirm that the truancy rate increased from 2.9 percent in 2002 to
4.1 percent in 2006 according to the Ministry of Education’s Attendance, Absence and Truancy reports; if so, what are
the reasons for this 41% increase in the truancy rate?
9. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: What reports has he received on employment relations?
10. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for the Environment: Is he satisfied with the Government’s management of the
chemically contaminated site at Mapua, noting yesterday’s critical report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the
Environment?
11. DAVE HEREORA to the Minister of Energy: What reports has he received on investment in electricity transmission?
12. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that elective surgical discharges since district health
boards began have been 108,541 in 2001, 105,721 in 2002, 102,942 in 2003, 106,575 in 2004, 106,583 in 2005, 107,923 in
2006 and 114,098 in 2007?
ENDS