Parliament Today 21 November 2013

Questions for Oral Answer.

Questions to Ministers 2.00PM – 3.00PM

  1. Hon PHIL HEATLEY to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the economy – and especially on further signs of economic momentum in the regions and among manufacturers?
  2. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister of Finance: How much did the Government’s share sales in Mighty River Power, Meridian, and Air New Zealand raise, given that the Supplement to the 2010 Investment Statement of the Government of New Zealand projected that those sales would raise $5.18 billion?
  3. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister for ACC: How much did ACC invest in Pike River Coal Limited and in New Zealand Oil and Gas Limited over the last eight years, and how much has it made or lost in total on its investment in each company, taking into account share purchases, subscriptions and sales, dividends, and current share prices?
  4. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Māori Affairs:Does he stand by his statement “I know Māori want to talk about the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in our constitution, and how our legal and political systems can reflect tikanga Māori.”; if so, why?
  5. Hon SHANE JONES to the Associate Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied with his performance in regard to his delegations as Associate Minister of Finance?
  6. JONATHAN YOUNG to the Minister for Building and Construction: What reports has he received regarding the state of the building and construction sector?
  7. GARETH HUGHES to the Minister for the Environment: Did the Environmental Protection Authority assess the full version of Anadarko’s Discharge Management Plan and Emergency Response Plan as part of its evaluation of the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment for the Deepwater Taranaki Well; if not, why not?
  8. Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Finance: When, if at all, did Cabinet approve the timing of the Air New Zealand sell-down and what directions did Cabinet give the shareholding Ministers?
  9. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister of Housing: What steps is the Government taking to rebuild Christchurch’s housing stock damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes?
  10. Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he stand by his statement “The opportunity, and challenge, for our meat producers now is to add value to different cuts of meat and continue to sell the New Zealand story”; if so, why?
  11. IAN McKELVIE to the Minister of Local Government: How is the Government improving councils’ financial reporting?
  12. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: Does he stand by his statement that “I am especially keen to hear what affected parties have to say on the Part 6A proposals in the Bill, and will carefully consider their submissions and the recommendations of the select committee”?

Labour is today asking five questions. These are about the investments of ACC, performance of Associate Ministers of Finance, the Air New Zealand share sale, adding value to meat exports and proposed Labour law changes.

Patsy question of the day goes to Nicky Wagner for Question 9: What steps is the Government taking to rebuild Christchurch’s housing stock damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes?

Government Bills 3.00PM – 6.00PM and 7.30PM – 10.00PM (The House is sitting under urgency)

1. Statutes Amendment Bill – Committee Stage

2. Unit Titles Amendment Bill – Committee Stage

3. Medicines Amendment Bill – Committee Stage

4. Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2) – First Reading

The Statutes Amendment Bill is being guided through the house by the Minister of Courts, Chester Borrows. This is an omnibus bill proposing amendments of a technical nature to 30 Acts.

The Unit Titles Amendment Bill is being guided through the house by the Minister of Courts, Chester Borrows. The provisions of this bill were divided out from the Statutes Amendment Bill (Formerly part of Statutes Amendment Bill).

The Medicines Amendment Bill is being guided through the house by the Associate Minister of Health, Todd McClay. This bill amends the Medicines Act 1981 to address some problematic provisions affecting the approval and prescription of medicines and medical devices.

The Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2) is being guided through the house by the Minister of Immigration, Michael Woodhouse. The Bill will ensure that New Zealand’s immigration system is robust, supports the security of the borders, and the integrity of the immigration system.