Committee notes
Commerce
The committee met on 26 July to consider the Commerce (Cartels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill, the Financial Markets Conduct Bill, and the Consumer Law Reform Bill.
When the committee next meets on 2 August it will consider the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill. It will also consider its inquiry into the price of milk, the briefing on Commerce Commission decisions regarding utility companies, the report from the Controller and Auditor-General on Transpower New Zealand Limited: Managing risks to transmission assets, and a number of petitions before the committee.
Education and Science
The committee met this week on 24 July to consider the 2012/13 Estimates for Vote Education and Vote Education Review Office, Vote Science and Innovation, and Vote Tertiary Education. The committee also met on 25 July to hear evidence on the inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy, and consider the petition of Helen McDonald on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Salisbury School, and the reports of the Controller and Auditor-General on Institutional arrangements for training, registering, and appraising teachers and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority: Assuring the consistency and quality of internal assessment for NCEA.
Next week the committee will meet on 1 August to hear evidence on the inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy. The hearing of evidence will be open to the public. The committee will also consider the 2010/11 financial review of the New Zealand Teachers Council, the inquiry into Pacific languages in early childhood education, and the petition of Helen McDonald on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Salisbury School.
Finance and Expenditure
The committee met on 25 July to hear evidence on the Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products – Budget Measures) Amendment Bill and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Covered Bonds) Amendment Bill.
The committee will next meet on 1 August to consider the same legislation.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
The committee did not meet this week.
Next week the committee will consider the Geneva Conventions (Third Protocol—Red Crystal Emblem) Amendment Bill. It will also consider the petitions of Edwina Hughes and John Stansfield.
Government Administration
The committee met on 18 July and heard evidence on the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill.
The committee will next meet on 1 August when it will further consider the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill, as well as the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave) Amendment Bill, and the Lobbying Disclosure Bill.
Health
This week the committee met to consider the Natural Health Products Bill and the Medicines Amendment Bill.
Next week the committee will hear evidence on the inquiry into preventing child abuse and improving children’s health outcomes, and continue its consideration of the Natural Health Products Bill and the Medicines Amendment Bill. It will also consider the petition of Alexander Milne and the petition of Jennifer Maree Hooper.
Justice and Electoral
The committee met on 26 July to consider the inquiry into the 2011 general election, and the Joint Family Homes Repeal Bill. Public submissions are now invited on this bill, with a closing date of Friday, 7 September 2012.
The committee will next meet on 2 August, when it will consider the inquiry into the 2011 general election, and the petition of Naginbhai Neil Gelabhai Patel.
Law and Order
The Committee met on 25 July to further consider the Bail Amendment Bill and the Corrections Amendment Bill.
The committee will next meet on 1 August to hear evidence on the Bail Amendment Bill and further consider the Corrections Amendment Bill.
Local Government and Environment
The committee met on 26 July to consider the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Bill and the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill. The committee heard evidence from submitters on the Game Animal Council Bill and the Building Amendment Bill (No. 4).
The committee will hear evidence from submitters on the Building Amendment Bill at its next meeting on 2 August.
The committee intends to meet in Christchurch on the evening of 2 August to receive a briefing from the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) on the Christchurch rebuild. On the following day, the committee will meet again in Christchurch to hear evidence from South Island submitters on the Game Animal Council Bill, the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Bill, and the Riccarton Bush Amendment Bill.
Māori Affairs
The Māori Affairs Committee met on 25 July to hear evidence on its inquiry into the determinants of wellbeing for Māori children.
When the committee next meets on 1 August it will continue to consider and hear evidence on its inquiry into the determinants of wellbeing for Māori children. The hearing of evidence will be open to the public.
Primary Production
The committee did not meet this week and will meet next on 2 August.
Privileges
The committee will meet for the first time next Wednesday, to elect a chairperson and appoint a deputy chairperson. The committee has one item of business before it at present: a question of privilege concerning the defamation action Attorney-General and Gow v Leigh, which the Speaker referred to the previous committee last year.
Regulations Review
The committee met on 26 July to consider Orders in Council made under the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010, Orders in Council made under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011, and a number of statutory regulations.
The committee is not currently expected to meet next week.
Social Services
The committee met on 25 July to consider and hear evidence on the Child Support Amendment Bill. Hearings of evidence were held in Wellington at Parliament, and the meeting was open to the public during the hearings of evidence.
The committee also considered the Families Commission Amendment Bill, setting a closing date for submissions of Wednesday, 15 August. Submissions are able to be made online via the Parliament website.
The committee will next meet on 1 August to consider and hear further evidence on the Child Support Amendment Bill. Hearings of evidence are again being held in Wellington at Parliament and commence at 9.40am. The meeting will be open to the public during the hearings of evidence. The committee will also consider the petition of Graeme Axford.
Transport and Industrial Relations
The committee did not meet this week.
Next week, the committee will meet on 2 August to consider the Immigration Amendment Bill, the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill, and the petitions of Meng Foon, Iain Lees-Galloway, and Richard Aslett and 7,436 others.
