SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS

From 16 November to 23 November 2001

Committee meetings

There were four committee meetings this week. One was in the parliamentary complex; the others were outside Wellington.

Reports presented

No reports were presented.

Bills referred to select committees

No bills were referred.

Committee notes

(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics)

Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week during the adjournment. Its next meeting will be on Thursday, 29 November, at which it will conduct public hearings in the financial reviews of the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office. These will be in Room G.011, Parliament House. The hearings will be open to the public from 10.30 am to 11.15 am for the Education Review Office, and 11.15 am to 12.45 pm for the Ministry of Education.

Finance and Expenditure (Julian Kersey, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will meet again on Wednesday, 28 November, in Room G.006, Parliament House. It will hear evidence on the 2000/01 financial review of the Inland Revenue Department. This will be open to the public from 10.30 am to 11.30 am. The committee will also consider the Construction Contracts Bill.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)

Last week the committee reported on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (No 3). If enacted, the bill would amend the Citizenship Act 1977 to prevent people unwittingly losing New Zealand citizenship by descent status. The bill also addresses anomalies that restrict the acquisition of citizenship in cases involving Cook Island, Niue and Tokelau people, loopholes regarding citizenship by grant, and the re-acquisition of citizenship.

The committee also reported on the financial and operational performance of the Departments of Internal Affairs and Prime Minister and Cabinet. The committee’s reports can be viewed on the Office of the Clerk’s website.

Next week the committee is to hear evidence from the chief executives of Archives New Zealand and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on the financial and operational performance of their organisations for the 2000/01 financial year and current operations.

Health (Matthew Andrews, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee did not meet. Today, Friday, 23 November, is the closing date for submissions on the Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill and Supplementary Order Paper 148. Next week the committee will hear evidence from the Ministry of Health on the 2000/01 financial review of that department.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee travelled to Christchurch and Auckland this week to hear submissions on the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill. This now completes the hearing of evidence on this bill. The committee must report its findings to the House by 12 February 2002.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week as the House was not sitting. The next meeting is yet to be determined.

Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee met in Auckland to hear evidence on the Te Uri o Hau Claims Settlement Bill. It will consider this bill further next week.

Next week the committee will also hear evidence from the Chief Executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Mark Prebble and from the Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Parekura Horomia, as part of the financial review of Te Puni Kokiri for 2000/01.

The committee has told people making submissions on its inquiry into the Crown Forestry Rental Trust (see http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/programme/committees/submissions/macfrtnq.html) that, due to other business before the committee, it will be unable to hear evidence on this inquiry until the new year.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week, but will have two days of meetings next week.

On Monday, 26 November, the committee will travel to the Nelson region to conduct site visits and hold hearing of evidence on its inquiry into sustainable forestry management. The committee will be at the O’Regan forest in Reefton from 9.15 am to 11.15 am. In the afternoon, it will be hearing evidence and conducting a site visit at the Topping/Walker forest in Glenhope from 1.30 pm to 4.15 pm.

On Thursday, 29 November, the committee will meet at Parliament in Room G.010, from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. It will have a briefing from the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers Federation about the domestic wholesale and retail market prices and returns for fresh vegetables from 10.00 am to 11.00 am. This will be followed by hearing of evidence from 11.00 am to 12 noon on the review of the 2000/01 financial performance and current operations of the Ministry of Fisheries. Both the briefing and the hearing of evidence are open to the public. The committee will also further consider the financial reviews of Land Information New Zealand and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the inquiry into sustainable forestry management.

Regulations Review (Andrew Fieldsend, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee did not meet this week. Next Wednesday morning the committee will continue its scrutiny of recent government regulations. It will also further its consideration of the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2).

On Wednesday afternoon the committee will hear complaints from the Law Society and the Bar Association. The complaints relate to recent regulations increasing civil court fees. These regulations are also the subject of four disallowance motions lodged in the House by committee member Richard Worth. The hearing will be open to the public in Room G.010, Parliament House, from 3.15 pm.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Commerce

Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill (15 January 2002)

TOWER Trust Limited Bill (15 January 2002)

Education and Science

Inquiry into teacher education (14 December 2001)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Interim report on the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill (30 November 2001)

Health

Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 148 (23 November 2001)

Maori Affairs

Inquiry into the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission (Te Ohu Kai Moana) (15 February 2002)

Primary Production

Land Transfer and Cadastral Survey Legislation Bill (28 January 2002)

Social Services

Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions – Overseas Pensions) Amendment Bill (15 January 2002)

General

You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact:

Carol Rankin

Senior Parliamentary Officer

carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 23 November 2001

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