Parliament 28 March 2012
March 28th, 2012 at 12:04 pm by David FarrarOral Questions 2 pm – 3 pm
- SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister of Finance: What measures is the Government taking to responsibly manage its finances and reduce the build-up in debt?
- CHARLES CHAUVEL to the Attorney-General: Were theProsecution Guidelines dated 1 January 2010 applied to the decision not to prosecute Mr Ambrose over the Tea Tape complaint?
- TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for Social Development: How will the Government’s proposed welfare changes give greater flexibility to support beneficiaries back into work?
- Hon TREVOR MALLARD to the Minister for ACC: Does she stand by her answers to all supplementary questions to Oral Questions No. 2 and No. 9 yesterday?
- Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister of Finance: Has the Treasury underestimated the forecast lost profits to the Crown from the sale of State-owned energy companies in light of Mighty River Power’s enhanced earnings and dividend announcement?
- MIKE SABIN to the Minister of Corrections: What reports has she received about the amount of drug use in prisons?
- RICHARD PROSSER to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he have confidence in New Zealand’s current biosecurity arrangements?
- DAVID BENNETT to the Minister of Transport: What is the Government doing to reduce compliance costs for motorists?
- GARETH HUGHES to the Minister of Conservation: How many adult Maui’s dolphins are estimated to be alive today and can she guarantee that on her watch no more Maui’s dolphins will die of human-induced causes?
- Hon PHIL GOFF to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What is the cost budgeted for this financial year of the 30 or more positions in the Change Programme Office within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consultants engaged by the Ministry on the change process?
- KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI to the Minister of Statistics: What information has he received on preparations for the 2013 Census?
- Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Minister for Economic Development: Is the Government considering legislative or regulatory concessions with respect to SkyCity Casino in order to build an international convention centre; if so, why?
Today there are five questions from National, four questions from Labour, two from the Greens and one from NZ First.
Patsy of the day goes to Q11 – What information has he received on preparations for the 2013 Census?
Labour are asking on teapotgate, ACC, MFAT and Sky City. Interesting that Mallard not Little (the ACC spokesperson) is asking the ACC questions.
Greens are on asset sales and dolphins. NZ First on biosecurity.
General Debate 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm
Government Bills 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm – 10.00 pm (and Thu 9am to 1 pm)
- Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill – first reading
- Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill – committee stage
- Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill - second reading continued
- Building Amendment Bill (No 4) - first reading
- Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill – third reading
The Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill was introduced in October 2011. It implements most of the 2010 Law Commission report, including handing over entitlements of MPs to travel and accommodation services will be determined by an independent body. It also allows an MPs salary to have a 0.2% deduction for every day they are absent without leave, which effectively increases it from $50/day to $270/day.
The Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill was introduced in September 2011 and seeks to amend the scheme to shorten the repayment holiday from three years to one year and require borrowers to apply for a repayment holiday, plus other changes. It was supported at first reading by National, Labour, ACT, Maori, Progressive and United and opposed by Greens and Chris Carter. It appears to continue to have broad support as there was no minority report back from the select committee.
The Trade Safeguard Measures Bill was introduced in September 2008, and seeks to repeal the Temporary Safeguard Authorities Act 1987 (which embodies New Zealand’s current safeguards regime) and to replace it with a new regime consistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. ’Safeguards’ are emergency measures applied at New Zealand’s border, such as a duty. It passed first reading on a voice vote and the select committee report back has no minority report.
The Building Amendment Bill (No 4) was introduced in November 2011 and seeks to also implement the Building Act reviews decisions, including more comprehensive consumer protection measures and clarifying exemptions from building consent requirements.
The Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill was introduced in December 2010 and aims to replace the land valuation basis for setting rents for pastoral leases with a property-earning-capacity basis for setting rents for pastoral leases. It was supported at first reading by National, Greens, ACT, Maori and United and opposed by Labour. Labour opposed the bill at select committee saying it “severely compromises the property rights of the land owner, the Crown, to negotiate a fair return on the full value of the land”. At second reading and committee stage it was supported by National, ACT and Maori Party but opposed by all other parties including (unusually) United Future.
March 28th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I guess that is trying to make or lead to a point, or is it just more unrealistic idealism?
There’s an easy answer to that. Even if the Minister personally patrolled the coastline with our whole navy and airforce and banned all commercial and recreational fishing that sort of guarantee couldn’t be given.
If Hughes was Minister of Conservation how would he save everything? Set up an inquiry?
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Mallard vs Collins
Fight time, about 2.15-2.30 (depending on preliminary bout times)
Ringside, and with a tight scrotum, if she was the leaker, Ms Boag.
Mallard may have got the goods, else, as David points out, why is he asking the question ?
Big money is on a no contest.
Vote:However if there is a knockout, Mallard may be favoured (but he will need the goods) light jabs will not do it.
Points decision, Collins must be favoured.
March 28th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
I really object to Gareth Hughes misusing his $141,800-a-year salary to fund his obsession for maui’s dolphins.
This amounts to $388.49 cents per day per 365-day year.
Given that Parliament doesn’t sit every day of the year that daily figure is likely to be much higher.
Mr Hughes is entitled to have a concern for whatever he likes. But I don’t see why I should be required to pay for it.
Surely this is an abuse of public money. Where are our intrepid media and why are they not asking questions about this?
I don’t particularly care about maui’s dolphins. I suspect that a lot of them are prey for other inhabitants of the sea, just as they prey on other sea life.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Dear TripeWryter,
As your complaints about me have accounted for half the demerit points i have received since i began posting here
i am reluctant to comment on anything you say for fear that you pimp on me again , however.
If you hate maui’s dolphins so much, why don’t you,
get up a petition to parliament to have them banned. ( the dolphins)
write to the editor of your local rag to voice your concern.
contact Gareth Hughes directly to voice your displeasure that he loves dolphins and you should not have to pay, or just,
Get a life and try to prove that you are not just a f’kin dropkick idiot.
Vote:Yours sincerely, bereal.
March 28th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
It’s not often I agree with bereal, but that’s right on the money.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Poor choice for patsy of the day, DPF. Q1 and Q3 are far worse. It doesn’t really qualify as “patsy of the day” unless there’s a reference to how wonderful the government is within the actual text of the question.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
It’s interesting how many ardent free-marketeers suddenly turn into central planners when it comes to the environment. It’s difficult to estimate precisely the ultimate effect of extinctions on human life, but suffice to say that interference in ecosystems can cause massive distortions that can end up causing such extreme effects as, say famines.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Yeah simonway
what you say makes a lot of sense. ( to Sumwun) coure we can all understand that ,
but the point is,
Vote:why do you hate mauis dolphins as much as TripeWryter does?
what have they ever done to you ?
March 28th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
I like dolphins generally but I haven’t met any Maui dolphins. But…
How much resource should be put into saving a species?
Is it doomed anyway? Maybe it’s too late to do anything about them.
While hastening the demise of a species isn’t flash how natural is it to stop the inevitable demise of a species? Extinctions are a very common and natural process.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
How quaint. Tripewriter didn’t say he hated the dolphins at all. He was bringing to attention the fact that Gareth is wasting a shedload of money talking about them. My money, possibly your money.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
TripeWryter seemed to be under the impression that Gareth Hughes does nothing else as an MP but advocate for the protection of these dolphins. Leaving aside whether it is indeed a waste of money to advocate for better protection of a critically endangered species, I imagine that Mr Hughes does actually find other duties to occupy him.
Vote:March 28th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Such as….
Vote:March 29th, 2012 at 12:28 am
Hello, Bereal:
The complaint I made about you was on March 7, 2011. It was the only complaint I have ever made about another blogger.
You might recall that you already had 20 demerit points then.
If you’ve picked up a few more then that’s your fault, as it was when I made my complaint.
Liberal Minded Kiwi got my point.
Vote:March 29th, 2012 at 4:02 am
Damn FN right I got it, it wasn’t difficult. But simple things like that seem to elude simple folk like Mikenmild.
Vote: