Committee notes
Commerce
The committee met on 5 August to continue hearing evidence on the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill. The committee also heard evidence from the Trustee Corporations Association on the inquiry into finance company failures.
The committee next meets on 19 August to receive initial briefings from advisers on the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill, the Commerce Commission (International Co-operation and Fees) Bill, and the New Zealand Productivity Commission Bill.
Education and Science
The committee met on 4 August to hear evidence on the briefing from the Ministry of Education on the arrangements for assessing students with autism against the National Standards. The committee also received an initial briefing from advisers on the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) and continued hearing evidence via telephone conference from Australia on the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill.
The committee will next meet on 12 August in Auckland (Discovery and Endeavour Room, Quality Hotel Barrycourt, 10-20 Gladstone Road, Parnell) to hear further evidence on the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. This hearing will be open to the public.
Electoral Legislation
The committee met this week to consider the Electoral Referendum Bill. The committee also called for public submissions on the Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill and set a closing date of Tuesday 24 August. Public hearings for this bill are likely to take place on 25 and 26 August in Wellington. Anyone intending to appear before the committee to speak to their submission should contact the Clerk of Committee as soon as possible on (04) 817 9522.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Finance and Expenditure
This week, the committee presented its report on its inquiry into the mid-term meeting of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC), which notes that the chairperson of the committee recently attended the mid-term meeting held in Hobart, Tasmania, on 5 July 2010. Two new reports from the Controller and Auditor-General were presented to the House and stood referred to the committee; the committee heard evidence on 4 August from the Inland Revenue Department on one of these reports, Inland Revenue Department: Managing child support debt.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
The committee met on 5 August 2010 to consider the report from the Controller and Auditor-General on Inquiry into New Zealand Defence Force payments to officers seconded to the United Nations.
The committee will meet next on 19 August to consider further this report. It will also receive a briefing on Burma.
Government Administration
The committee met on 4 August to consider the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill and the Christ's College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill. The committee reported to the House the petition of Nathan James Ngatai and 1050 others. The report is available on the Parliament website.
The committee is inviting submissions on the Governor-General Bill, which seeks to update and simplify the financial arrangements for the support of the Governor-General. The closing date for submissions is Friday, 13 August.
The committee will next meet on 18 August to consider the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill, Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill, and the Governor-General Bill.
Health
The committee met on 4 August and completed consideration of the petition of Timothy John Delaney and the briefing from See Here. A new briefing, on the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, was initiated.
The committee is not meeting next week and will meet again on 18 August.
Justice and Electoral
On 5 August the committee met to consider the Search and Surveillance Bill amongst other items of business.
The committee has resolved to advertise for further written submissions on the Search and Surveillance Bill with a closing date of 3 September 2010 but does not intend to conduct any further hearings of evidence.
Law and Order
The committee met on 4 August to conclude hearings of evidence on the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill. It has reported to the House on the report from the Controller and Auditor-General on Response of the New Zealand Police to the Commission of Inquiry into Police conduct: Second monitoring report.
Local Government and Environment
The committee met on 5 August to hear evidence on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill and from the Office of the Auditor-General on two recent reports:
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Local government: Examples of better practice in setting local authorities’ performance measures
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Local government: Results of the 2008/09 audits
The committee will next meet on 19 August in Auckland to hear further evidence on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill. The hearing will take place at The Conference Centre, 585 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, and will be open to the public.
Māori Affairs
The committee met on 4 August to consider the recently referred Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill. Submissions on this bill close on 6 August 2010. It also heard further evidence on the inquiry into the operation of the Maori Community Development Act 1962 and related issues. The inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori was also considered.
The committee will next meet on 11 August in Rotorua to hear evidence on the Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill. This hearing will be open to the public.
Primary Production
This week the committee met on 5 August to hear evidence on the briefing on agricultural education in New Zealand.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Regulations Review
The committee met on 5 August to consider recently promulgated statutory regulations, the Legislation Bill, regulation-making powers in the Southland District Council (Stewart Island/Rakiura Visitor Levy) Empowering Bill and the Electoral Referendum Bill, and the complaint regarding Rules for Cadastral Survey 2010.
The committee will next meet on 19 August to consider recently promulgated statutory and deemed regulations, regulation-making powers in the Food Bill, and the complaint regarding three notices issued by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board on 25 March 2009.
Social Services
The committee met on 4 August to consider the inquiry into the identification, rehabilitation, and care and protection of child offenders. The committee also completed its consideration of the briefing on the whānau ora service delivery approach.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Transport and Industrial Relations
The committee met on 5 August to hear evidence from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions on the Employment Relations (Rest Breaks and Meal Breaks) Amendment Bill. The committee also further considered the petition of Hon Phil Goff requesting the House note that approximately 2,560 signatures have been collected calling on the Government to take firm action to ensure residents of Onehunga are not further disadvantaged by the completion of State Highway 20 across Onehunga Bay. It also considered the petition of Camille Nakhid on behalf of the Migrant Action Trust and 2,626 others, and reported to the House. This petition requests the House of Representatives to urge the Government to extend work permits for redundant workers, renew work permits for migrants already employed, create a business visa category for new graduates, extend the skilled migrants category, and discontinue labour market tests for work permits from migrant job applicants. A report of the Controller and Auditor-General on The Civil Aviation Authority’s progress with improving certification and surveillance has been referred to the committee by the Finance and Expenditure Committee; the committee also considered this report.
The committee will not meet next week. On 19 August it will consider further the Employment Relations (Rest Breaks and Meal Breaks) Amendment Bill and the Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill.
