Parliament – 4th September 2013

Questions for Oral Answer – 2pm to 3pm

Questions to

1) METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for Economic Development: When he said, in relation to the SkyCity convention centre deal, “the negotiated significant additional harm-minimisation measures that apply to all gambling machines in that casino will together act to reduce harm” was he basing his claim on the Health Ministry's gambling harm minimisation team's advice; if not, why not?

2) Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that “our companies are becoming more competitive”?

3) PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making in building a stronger economy that will support more jobs and higher incomes, following the domestic recession which started in early 2008 well before the global financial crisis?

4) PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Housing: Does he agree with the New Zealand Herald that “the Government's latest response to the problem of is as ill-directed as it is insipid”?

5) COLIN KING to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: What recent announcements has the Government made about foundation education?

6) HONE HARAWIRA to the Minister: Does he accept that his reported comments about the asset sales referendum being a $9 million waste of money are likely to be considered rude, disrespectful and insulting by the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who have signed the petition for just such a referendum; if not, why not?

7) Hon MARYAN STREET to the Minister for the Environment: Has she had any advice that exploratory drilling at deep sea levels may pose significant environmental or health and safety risks, and if so, why is she proposing that exploratory deep sea drilling, like the Deepwater Horizon Well, is non-notified under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 and therefore protected from public submissions?

8) CLAUDETTE HAUITI to the Minister of Justice: What changes are being made to pre-sentence restorative justice services?

9) CLARE CURRAN to the Minister of Finance: Does he have confidence in the board of Māori Television?

10) Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he still stand by his statement yesterday when asked whether he was satisfied that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service has always operated lawfully under his leadership; “as far as am aware, yes”?

11) CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: Will Wanganui Collegiate be required to supervise a child if the child's parents are unable to pay the $5,200 “parent contribution” for meals, house activities and supervision?

12) IAN McKELVIE to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made regarding assistance for communities to improve their drinking water?

Today, Labour are asking five questions on topics ranging from competitiveness in business, housing affordability, oil drilling, Maori television and Wanganui Collegiate. National will be asking four questions ranging from the economy, education, justice and drinking water.

The Greens will be asking one question about the Sky-City casino deal. New Zealand First will be asking one question about the GCSB with Mana asking one question about assest sales.

Pasty Question of the Day

Today's pasty question of the day goes to question five from Colin King to Hon Steven Joyce asking the following,

What recent announcements has the Government made about foundation education?

General Debate – 3pm to 4pm

This debate happens most Wednesdays in Parliament with 12 rounds of open speeches from members.

Members Orders of the Day – 4pm to 6pm and 7.30pm to 10pm

1) Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill – Te Ururoa Flavell – Third Reading

This bill was introduced in September 2010 by Te Ururoa Flavell. It seeks to allow local authorities, in consultation with their communities, to reduce the number of, or even eliminate, pokies from those suburbs and towns where they are particularly concentrated or doing particular harm. This bill since the first reading has been rewritten to make some changes to the bill to be able to waterdown some of the effects of the original bill with a deal done between National and the Maori Party recently to get the bill passed.

2) Conservation (Natural Heritage Protection Bill) – Jacqui Dean – Second Reading

This bill is designed to encourage compliance with enactments administered by the Department of Conservation by increasing penalties to better protect natural and historic resources and protected wildlife. The main changes the Bill makes to the existing law are to both increase the penalties, and implement a consistent approach to penalties across the main enactments administered by the Department of Conservation.

3) Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill – 1st reading continuation – Moana Mackey

This bill is designed to bring back a 10 year ban on the creation of thermal generation of power. This 10 year ban was originally removed in the Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill 2008. The 10 year ban on thermal generation of power was apart of the original Emissions Trading Scheme.