Committee notes
Commerce
The committee met on 26 August to begin hearing evidence on the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill. The committee has received 40 submissions on the bill, and will continue to hear evidence after the adjournment. The committee also considered the departmental report on the Securities Trustees and Statutory Supervisors Bill. The reporting date for this bill is 24 September 2010.
This week the Insolvency Practitioners Bill was referred to the committee, with a reporting date of 24 March 2010. This bill creates powers to restrict or prohibit individuals from providing insolvency services, and strengthens measures to automatically disqualify insolvency practitioners. The chairperson is inviting submissions on this bill. Submissions can be made online at the Parliament website (www.parliament.nz) by 12 October 2010.
The committee also received a petition this week from Allan Hunter, requesting that the House investigate the role of the Banking Ombudsman in cases of liquidation such as those of Hunter Laminates Ltd and Hunter Construction and Agency Ltd, and that, if necessary, it amend the banking laws to increase accountability.
The committee next meets on 9 September to continue consideration of the Securities Trustees and Statutory Supervisors Bill. The committee will also hear evidence from approximately eight submitters on the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill.
Education and Science
The committee met on 25 August to hear evidence on the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) and to further consider the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill.
The committee will next meet on 8 September.
Electoral Legislation
The committee met this week to consider and hear evidence on the Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill and to continue its consideration of the Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Bill.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Finance and Expenditure
The committee’s call for written submissions on the Taxation (GST and Remedial Matters) Bill remains open until 9 September 2010. The bill proposes amendments to the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985 to provide for tax to be charged on supplies of land in transactions between registered persons at the rate of 0%, to simplify the method for making adjustments for changes in use, and to streamline transactions involving nominated persons. It also contains other policy and remedial amendments to the Income Tax Act 2007, the Tax Act 2004, the Tax Administration Act 1994, the KiwiSaver Act 2006, and a range of other tax-related legislation. Submissions can be made online at the Parliament website (www.parliament.nz) by 9 September 2010.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
The committee will next meet on 9 September to hear evidence from the New Zealand Defence Force regarding matters raised by the Controller and Auditor-General in the report Inquiry into New Zealand Defence Force payments to officers seconded to the United Nations. It will also consider the briefing on Burma.
Government Administration
The committee met on 25 August to consider the Christ’s College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill, the Governor-General Bill, and the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill.
The committee is inviting submissions on the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill. The closing date for submissions is 8 October with more details available on the Parliament website.
The committee will next meet on 8 September to consider the Governor-General Bill, Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill, and the Christ's College (Canterbury) Amendment Bill.
Health
The committee met on 25 August to further consider the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Amendment Bill and the petition of Jennifer Maree Hooper, which requests that the House note that 826 people have signed a petition to make all and any necessary changes to New Zealand’s maternity system to increase safety and protection for all mothers and babies. The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill has since been referred to the committee and the chairperson is calling for submissions by 29 September. The bill is proposing a number of amendments including a reclassification of the drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Justice and Electoral
On 26 August the committee met to continue to consider the Search and Surveillance Bill
The committee’s call for written submissions on the Search and Surveillance Bill remains open until 3 September 2010. A copy of the committee’s interim report can be obtained from the Parliament website (www.parliament.nz). The committee does not intend to conduct any further hearings of evidence on the bill at this stage.
The chairperson of the committee is also calling for submissions on the Legal Services Bill. The closing date for submissions on the bill is 8 October 2010, and submissions should be made via the Parliament website.
The Legal Services Bill replaces the Legal Services Act 2000 and reforms the current legal aid system.
Law and Order
The committee did not meet this week and its next meeting will be on 8 September to further consider the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill and the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill.
Local Government and Environment
The committee met on 26 August to conclude hearings of evidence on the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill.
The committee next meets on 9 September to hear evidence on two local bills: the Southland District Council (Stewart Island/Rakiura Visitor Levy) Empowering Bill and the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill. The hearings will be open to the public.
Māori Affairs
The committee met on 25 August to further consider the Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill. The committee’s report to the House has been presented and is available on the Parliament website.
The committee will next meet on the morning of 31 August at the Lake Taupo Yacht Club to hear further evidence on the inquiry into the operation of the Maori Community Development Act 1962 and related issues. This hearing will be open to the public.
Primary Production
This week the committee conducted a site visit to several aquaculture sites in the Marlborough Sounds and met with wine industry leaders in Blenheim.
The committee will not be meeting next week.
Regulations Review
The committee met on 26 August to consider recently promulgated statutory and deemed regulations, the Legislation Bill, regulation making powers in the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Bill, and the complaint regarding three notices issued by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board on 25 March 2009.
The committee will next meet on 23 September to consider recently promulgated statutory and deemed regulations and the Legislation Bill.
Social Services
This week, the committee reported to the House on the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill. The committee is recommending that the bill not be passed, as the Government announced earlier this week that it will introduce legislation that will address the issues covered by this bill.
Transport and Industrial Relations
The committee did not meet this week. It will meet next on 9 September to consider further the Employment Relations (Rest Breaks and Meal Breaks) Amendment Bill and the Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill.
The hearings of evidence on both these bills have been completed and the committee is now considering them further in the light of this evidence. Advisers from the Department of Labour and Parliamentary Counsel are assisting the committee with this consideration. Both bills have late October reporting dates to the House.
At its next meeting the committee will also start considering the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Holidays Amendment Bill. These two bills have been referred from the House to the committee in the past week, and both bills need to be reported to the House by 5 November 2010. On both these bills the committee has authority from the House to meet while the House is sitting (except during oral question time in the House), during any evening on a day in which the House has been sitting, and on a Friday in a week when the House has been sitting; and to meet outside the Wellington area during a sitting of the House.
