Committee notes
Commerce
The committee met on 9 August to continue hearing submissions on the Inquiry into housing affordability and will be hearing further submissions on 16 August.
The committee has called for submissions on the Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Bill due by 21 September.
Education and Science
On 8 August the committee heard evidence as part of the committee’s inquiry into making the schooling system work for every child, and heard evidence on the Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill.
The committee next meets on 15 August to hear evidence as part of the committee’s inquiry into making the schooling system work for every child. The committee will also hear evidence on the Education (Tertiary Reforms) Amendment Bill.
Finance and Expenditure
The committee met on 8 August to hear evidence on the Taxation (Annual Rates, Business Taxation, KiwiSaver, and Remedial Matters) Bill. The hearings on the bill continue next week.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
The committee met on 9 August to consider the Armed Forces Law Reform Bill, the International Financial Agreements Amendment Bill, and the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill. The committee presented its reports on the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the 2005/132 petition of Peter McKenzie QC for the Barnabus Fund and the Joint Select Committee Exchange to Canberra in May 2007. It also continued consideration of its inquiry into New Zealand’s relationships with South Pacific countries, and then met with a United Kingdom delegation from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The committee meets next on 16 August to continue considering the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill and will receive an oral submission on the bill. It will also consider the 2005/146 petition of Malcolm Ball and 22 others, and its Pacific Inquiry
Government Administration
The committee met on 8 August, and continued with hearings of evidence for the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill. The committee also considered the Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dogs’ Tails) Bill and the New Zealand Geographic Board (Nga Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Bill.
The committee meets again on 15 August to consider the Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dogs’ Tails) Bill and the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill.
Health
At its meeting on 8 August the committee heard further evidence from the ambulance unions on the briefing on the contract between the Ministry of Health and the Order of St John for ambulance services, and considered further two human tissue bills, the Human Tissue and the Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment bill. The committee also considered further the inquiry into obesity and type two diabetes.
At its next meeting on 15 August the committee will consider further the two human tissue bills and the inquiry into obesity and type two diabetes.
Justice and Electoral
The committee is meeting in Melbourne at present. The committee will next meet in Wellington on 16 August to hear evidence on the Crimes (Repeal of Seditious Offences) Amendment Bill, continue hearing evidence on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Deletion Bill, and continue its consideration of other items of business before it.
Law and Order
The committee met on 8 August to hear evidence on the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill.
The committee will next meet on 15 August to continue hearing evidence on the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill and the Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill.
Local Government and Environment)
The committee met on 9 August to hear evidence on a petition concerning Waiheke Island. A delegation from the United Kingdom Parliament was welcomed to the meeting to discuss the issues of climate change and local government funding.
The committee will next meet on 16 August. Evidence will be heard on a petition about seabed mining, and briefings will be received on long-term council community plans, and on the sale of reserves.
Māori Affairs
The committee met this week to hear evidence on the inquiry into Māori participation in early childhood education. Next week the committee will meet on Wednesday with a German delegation from the Bundestag, hear evidence on the inquiry into Māori participation in early childhood education, and receive a briefing from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage on several international treaties.
Primary Production
This week the committee met with the United Kingdom branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and further considered the Fisheries Act 1996 Amendment Bill and the Farmers’ Mutual Group Bill.
Next week, the committee will be meeting on Wednesday to consider the Fisheries Act 1996 Amendment Bill. On Thursday, the committee will undertake site visits of the Landcorp Farming Limited operations in Wairakei.
Regulations Review
The committee met on 8 August and scrutinised statutory and deemed regulations, and considered the Complaint regarding Family Court Rule 89(2)(b).
The committee will next meet on 15 August to scrutinise statutory regulations and consider the complaint regarding Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk) Regulations 2001 (SR 2001/326).
Social Services
The committee met on 8 August to hear evidence on its inquiry into the quality and care of services provision for disabled people and how they might be improved. The committee next meets on 15 August to continue hearing evidence on this inquiry, this meeting will be held in the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre in Auckland and will be open to the public.
Transport and Industrial Relations
This week the committee heard evidence on the Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill and continued its consideration of the Minimum Wage and Remuneration Amendment Bill.
The committee will next meet on 16 August to continue hearing evidence on the Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill and its consideration of the Minimum Wage and Remuneration Amendment Bill.
