Thursday, 06 March 2003
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. MIKE WARD to the Minister for Sport and Recreation: Why has the Government offered funding of $5.6 million to Team New Zealand four years before the America’s Cup challenge, while Water Safety New Zealand only has funds for programmes to reduce the number of children drowning in 8 out of 17 regional sports trust areas?

2. Dr DON BRASH to the Minister for Economic Development: Why did he make a speech in June 2002 stating that “This government has set itself an ambitious target. It wants to see New Zealand once more in the top half of the OECD league table of average real incomes by 2011.”, given that the Prime Minister has stated that the timeframe is “totally unrealistic”?

3. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Immigration: Since she has been Minister, how many foreigners have arrived in New Zealand as visitors and not left at the end of their visit such as Mr Shinozaki who died Wednesday 26 February, and the six other students from the “rogue” Columbus Academy, who remain here?

4. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Associate Minister of Justice: Does she retain full confidence in the Race Relations Commissioner, Mr Joris de Bres; if so, why?

5. DAVID BENSON-POPE to the Minister for the America's Cup: What were the factors that led to the Government’s decision to commit $5.6 million to Team New Zealand’s 2007 America’s Cup campaign?

6. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Transport: Has he received any reports about brake failures on Tranz Rail locomotives; if so, does he have confidence that Tranz Rail is operating safely so that people are not in danger?

7. TIM BARNETT to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology: What are the latest research, science and technology initiatives which he has undertaken and why are these important?

8. KATHERINE RICH to the Minister of Broadcasting: In light of his recent comments regarding the new charter for TVNZ that “the $12 million they’ve currently got, obviously people should … know exactly how that was spent … and what is being done with it”, can he tell the House the exact breakdown of the expenditure of that money; if not, why not?

9. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Minister of Police: How has the disestablishment of police regions contributed to increased front-line staffing?

10. PHIL HEATLEY to the Minister of Fisheries: Can marine farmers throughout New Zealand, whose permits expire in the near future and who are likely to be within an Aquaculture Management Area, have confidence that they will be allowed to keep investing in their businesses with staff gainfully employed well into the future?

11. STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister for Environment: Has the Minister received any reports over concerns about the quality of water in the Rotorua lakes?

12. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Minister of Police: What is the aggregate total number of days of leave not yet taken by sworn police as at the end of February 2003, and what assurance can he give that a build up of untaken leave is not compromising public safety or the ability of police to do their job?

ENDS

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