Back Benches 7 August 2013

THIS WEEK ON PRIME TV’s “BACK BENCHES”: Watch Wallace Chapman, Damian Christie, the Back Benches Panel and special guests discuss the week’s hottest topics!

 

FONTERRA:  The company’s share price has taken a dive. So has the New Zealand dollar. New Zealand’s brand is suffering as countries we trade with ban Fonterra product. Can one rusty pipe destroy our economy? What can and should government be doing about it?

 

SNAPPER QUOTA: Snapper stock in the North Island is in trouble and the Ministry of Primary Industries has decided it’s time to do something about it. But it’s not targeting commercial fishers; it’s the recreational anglers who are most likely to take a hit. They could be going home with as few as three fish compared to the current nine. Anglers say the value of the New Zealand lifestyle is at stake while commercial fishers waste hundreds of kilos of fish a year. But the Ministry says it’s the recreational fishers doing the most damage. Who’s right?

 

SICK LEAVE:  When Bruce Taiapa took a sick day to go to the waka ama champs in Rotorua he got a medical certificate. When his employer caught wind of the truth Mr Taiapa was fired, a decision backed up by the Employment Court – not because he went to waka ama but because he lied. Now the Medical Council wants to toughen up on medical certificates by putting more detailed information on them which will make it harder for employees to get them willy-nilly. But is that a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality? And should the employer decide how an employee might want to recuperate from illness?

 

BRINGING BACK ROUGH PLAY: If a child breaks their arm at the local playground, is it a right of passage or a health and safety issue? A long, steep slide in a West Auckland playground has been shut temporarily after two children were injured bruised and grazed flying down it. Efforts to have the slide shut down permanently have failed after the community pushed back against years of safe swings and rubber mats. Are they right?

 

QUIZ:   We have a small quiz at the end of the show. It is a couple of questions on the shows topics. It is meant to be quick and fun. Plus, if you’re the winner you get a prize.

 

LAST WORD: We are giving each one of the panellists 30 seconds to say what is on their mind. You may talk about whatever is on your mind. It could be about a personal story you would like to share or a particular piece of legislationthat you are working on…or it could be a final word about one of the previous topics…or it could be about a pet project you would like to see come to fruition.  You have 30 seconds to say whatever is on your mind! You will be timed for fairness.

 

Our panel : Labour MP Annette King, National MP Alfred Ngaro, New Zealand First MP Andrew Williams