Committee notes
Auckland Governance Legislation
The committee met on 17 February to consider the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill.
The committee will meet in Auckland to hear evidence on the bill over the next two weeks. It will meet from 22 to 27 February, and from 1 to 4 March at the Quality Hotel Barrycourt in Parnell to hear oral submissions. The committee will likely meet in Wellington on 5 March to hear further evidence.
Commerce
The committee met on 18 February to consider and hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of Radio New Zealand Limited, the Broadcasting Commission, and Kordia Group Limited. The 2008/09 financial review of Transpower New Zealand Limited, Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, and the Accounting Standards Review Board were also considered.
The committee will next meet on 25 February to consider the Patents Bill and the Financial Service Providers (Pre-Implementation Adjustments) Bill. It will also consider the 2008/09 financial review of Genesis Power Limited, Meridian Energy Limited, and Mighty River Power Limited. They will hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of the Public Trust. This hearing is open to the public. The report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on Smart electricity meters: How households and the environment can benefit will also be considered.
Education and Science
The committee met on 17 February to hear evidence on and consider the 2008/09 financial review of the Tertiary Education Commission and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
The committee will next meet on 24 February to hear evidence on and consider the petitions of Maryan Street, Kathryn Sclater, Damien O’Connor, and Sue Kedgley. The Committee will also hear evidence on and consider the report from the Controller and Auditor-General on Ministry of Education: Managing support for students with high special educational needs, and its briefing on the review of special education services.
Finance and Expenditure
The committee met on 17 February to consider the Electricity Industry Bill, and the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill, and to consider and hear evidence on the Taxation (Annual Rates, Trans-Tasman Savings Portability, KiwiSaver, and Remedial Matters) Bill.
It will next meet on 24 February to hear evidence on the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill, and continue its consideration of other items of business before it.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
The committee met on 18 February to consider the petitions of Charmaine Deng for the Falun Dafa Association of New Zealand, and Sinniah Ilanko. The committee received a briefing from the Rt Hon Helen Clark, Director of the United Nations Development Fund. It also heard evidence on and considered the international treaty examination of the Agreement Between the Government of New Zealand And The Government Of The United States of America On Science and Technology Cooperation Contributing To Domestic And External Securities Capabilities.
The committee will meet on 25 February to consider its briefing on the Defence Review ’09. It will also consider the petition of Charmaine Deng for the Falun Dafa Association of New Zealand, and its inquiry into New Zealand’s relationships with South Pacific countries.
Government Administration
The committee met on 17 February to hear evidence on and consider the 2008/09 financial review of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Board, and Sport and Recreation New Zealand. The committee also considered the 2008/09 financial review of the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (Pouhere Taonga), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Drug Free Sport New Zealand, the Office of Film and Literature Classification, and the petition of Nathan James Ngatai and 1,050 others.
The committee will next meet on 24 February to hear evidence on and consider the 2008/09 financial review of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and the Statutes Amendment Bill. The committee will also consider the 2008/09 financial review of Sport and Recreation New Zealand, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Board.
Health
The committee met on 17 February to hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, and South Canterbury District Health Board.
The committee will next meet on 24 February to hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of the Crown Health Financing Agency, and to further consider the 2008/09 financial review of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. It will also consider the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Bill.
Justice and Electoral
The committee met on 18 February to hear evidence on the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill. The committee also considered the Child and Family Protection Bill, the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Bill, the Search and Surveillance Bill, and the petitions of Neale McMillan, Jane Prichard, Sue Rowe, and Phillida Bunkle.
The committee will next meet on 25 February to hear evidence on the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill, and the Search and Surveillance Bill.
Law and Order
The committee met on 17 February to further consider the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill, and to hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
The committee will not meet next week.
Local Government and Environment
The committee met on 18 February to hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of the Environmental Risk Management Authority, and to consider the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill, and four petitions.
The committee will next meet on 25 February to consider a number of petitions.
Māori Affairs
The committee met on 17 February in Marton to hear evidence on the Ngāti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill, and the Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill.
The committee will next meet on 24 February in Ngaruawahia to hear evidence on the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill. This hearing will be open to the public.
Primary Production
The committee met on 18 February to consider and hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of Quotable Value Limited. It also considered the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill, the briefing on agricultural education in New Zealand, and the petition of David Mark Wills.
Regulations Review
The committee met on 18 February to consider recently promulgated statutory regulations and deemed regulations, the report by the New Zealand delegation to the Australia-New Zealand Scrutiny of Legislation Conference: Scrutiny and Accountability in the 21st Century, and the Activities of the Regulations Review Committee in 2009.
The committee will next meet on 25 February to consider recently promulgated statutory and deemed regulations.
Social Services
The committee did not meet this week.
The committee will next meet on 24 February to hear evidence on the Report from the Controller and Auditor-General on Ministry of Social Development: Changes to the case management of sickness and invalids' beneficiaries.
Transport and Industrial Relations
The committee met on 18 February to hear evidence on the 2008/09 financial review of New Zealand Railways Corporation.
