Select Committee Business

From 23 June to 26 June 2014

Committee meetings

There were 16 committee meetings, two outside Wellington and 14 in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Education and Science

• Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Schools: Results of the 2012 audits

Finance and Expenditure

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Canterbury Earthquake Recovery

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Finance, Fiscal Strategy Report 2014, Budget economic and fiscal update 2014, and Inquiry into the Investment Statement: Managing the Crown’s Balance Sheet, 26 March 2014

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Defence and Vote Defence Force

Law and Order

• Interim report on Petition 2011/90 of Jessie Hume

• Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Department of Corrections: Managing offenders to reduce reoffending

Justice and Electoral

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Justice

Māori Affairs

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Māori Affairs

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Treaty Negotiations

Primary Production

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Food Safety

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Lands

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Primary Industries

• Animal Welfare Amendment Bill (107-2)

• Briefing on new import health standards for pork

Regulations Review

• Activities of the Regulations Review Committee in 2013 (I.16F)

Transport and Industrial Relations

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote ACC

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Immigration

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Labour

• 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Transport

Bills referred to select committees

Local Government and Environment

• Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill (220-1)

Committee notes

Commerce

The committee met on 26 June to receive a briefing from a delegation led by the Marshal of the Polish Senate, and consider the Energy (Fuels, Levies and References) Amendment Bill.

The committee will meet on 3 July to hear evidence on Petition 2011/76 of Ben Dowdle on behalf of Unmask Palm Oil. The committee will also consider a briefing on information technology price discrimination.

Education and Science

The committee met on 25 June to hear a briefing from the Office of the Auditor-General on its report Schools: Results of the 2012 audits. The committee also considered the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Inquiry into engaging parents in the education of their children.

The committee will next meet on 2 July when it will further consider the Education Amendment Bill (No 2).

Finance and Expenditure

The committee met on 25 June when it further considered the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Statement, June 2014, the 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, and the 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Finance, along with the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2014, Fiscal strategy report 2014, and Investment Statement: Managing the Crown’s Balance Sheet, 26 March 2014.

The committee will next meet on 2 July when it will hear evidence from the Office of the Auditor-General on the following reports from the Controller and Auditor-General: Watercare Services Limited: Review of service performance, Reflections from our audits: Our future needs – is the public sector ready and Maintaining a future focus in governing Crown-owned companies, February 2014.

The committee will also further consider the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Amendment Bill and the petitions of Deidre Kent and 877 others and Roy Reid on behalf of Grey Power Federation New Zealand.

The committee will also consider the following reports from the Controller and Auditor-General, Setting up Central Agencies Shared Services and Annual Plan 2014/15.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

The committee met on 26 June when it received a visit by the Marshall of the Polish Senate. The committee also further considered the 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Defence and Vote Defence Force.

The committee also considered the International treaty examination of the Arms Trade Treaty and received a briefing on Iraq.

Government Administration

The committee did not meet this week.

The committee will next meet on 2 July.

Health

The committee met on 25 June and heard evidence on the Report of the Controller and Auditor-General on regional services planning in the health sector, and the petition of Ann Chapman on mental health treatment. The committee also continued its consideration of the Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill, and considered the Report of the Controller and Auditor-General on the results of the 2012/13 audits of the health sector.

The committee will next meet on 2 July to hear evidence on the Report of the Controller and Auditor-General on the results of the 2012/13 audits of the health sector, and on the petition of Carmel Berry and Charlotte Korte on the use of surgical mesh in New Zealand.

Justice and Electoral

This week the committee continued its consideration of the inquiry into the 2013 Local Authority Elections, and the 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Justice. It also considered petition 2011/66 of Elizabeth Subritzky.

Next week the committee will continue its consideration of the Inquiry into the 2013 local authority elections.

Law and Order

The committee met on 25 June 2014 to consider the Report from The Controller and Auditor-General, Department of Corrections: Managing Offenders to reduce reoffending, and the Petition 2011/90 of Jessie Hume.

Local Government and Environment

The committee met on 25 June to further consider the Kaikoura (Te Tai-o-Marokura) Marine Management Bill. It also met in Dunedin and Christchurch on 26 June to hear evidence on the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill.

Māori Affairs

The committee did not meet this week.

Primary Production

The committee met on 26 June when it received briefings on the future of Māori Agribusiness, and the policy, project management and programmes of forestry grants offered by the Ministry for Primary Industries. The committee deliberated on the 2014/15 Estimates for Vote Primary Industries, its briefing on fertiliser standards and a briefing on the report from the Controller and Auditor General, Ministry for Primary Industries: Preparing for and responding to biosecurity incursions.

The committee will next meet on 3 July when it will receive a briefing on the health of bees and consider its briefings on the regulation of the whitebait fishery on the West Coast and the future of Māori Agribusiness.

Privileges

The committee met on 28 May 2014.

The committee will not meet next week.

Regulations Review

The committee met on 26 June 2014 to consider its Inquiry into oversight of disallowable instruments that are not legislative instruments, and regulation-making powers in bills. The committee continued its scrutiny of various legislative instruments and disallowable instruments that are not legislative instruments.

The committee will next meet on 3 July 2014 to consider the briefing on regulation-making powers that authorise transitional regulations to override primary legislation. The committee will continue its scrutiny of various legislative instruments and disallowable instruments that are not legislative instruments, and regulation making powers in bills.

Social Services

The committee met on 25 June to consider its Inquiry into boarding houses in New Zealand, its Briefing into long-term caravan park and motor camp accommodation, the Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Inquiry into the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board: Follow-up report, and its Inquiry into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services.

The committee will next meet on 2 July to consider its Inquiry into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services, its Inquiry into boarding houses in New Zealand, its Briefing into long-term caravan park and motor camp accommodation, the Petition 2011/87 of Vivian Needham, the Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Inquiry into the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board: Follow-up report, and its Information request to the Minister for Building and Construction.

Standing Orders

The committee will meet on 3 July to consider the Review of Standing Orders. This review traditionally takes place in the months prior to a general election with a view to changes in procedure being adopted for the next term of Parliament.

Transport and Industrial Relations

The committee met on 26 June to consider the Report of the Controller and Auditor-General: Immigration New Zealand: Supporting new migrants to settle and work; and to hear evidence on the Health and Safety Reform Bill.

The committee will meet next week.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Local Government and Environment

• Christchurch City Council (Rates Validation) Bill (31 July 2014)

Submissions can be made online

General

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 26 June 2014

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