Select Committee Business

From 12 March to 19 March 2004

Committee meetings

Seventeen committee meetings were held this week, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

(available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport)

Commerce

- 2002/03 financial review of New Zealand Post Limited

- 2002/03 financial review of New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Limited

- 2002/03 financial review of Solid Energy New Zealand Limited

Education and Science

- State Sector Amendment Bill (No 3) (100-2)

Primary Production

- 2002/03 financial review of Quotable Value Limited (Valuation New Zealand Limited)

Committee notes

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

Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 18 March to consider and hear evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of Meridian Energy Limited and furthered its consideration of other financial reviews. In the afternoon the committee continued to hear evidence on the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill.

The committee next meet on 25 March to consider and hear evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation. They will also further their consideration of the 2002/03 financial reviews of Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand.

Education and Science (Graham Hill, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee heard evidence on the financial reviews of the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. The committee reported the State Sector Amendment Bill (No 3). At its next meeting the committee will consider further the financial reviews of the New Zealand Forest Research Institute and Industrial Research Limited. It will also begin hearing evidence on the Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill.

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met this week to consider the March 2004 Monetary Policy Statement and receive a briefing from officials on the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill and Supplementary Order Paper 183.

The committee is inviting submissions on the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill and Supplementary Order Paper 183.

The aim of the bill is to clarify the law relating to the public service including amending the Public Finance Act 1989 and the State Sector Act 1988, repealing the Fiscal Responsibility Act 1994, and enacting a new Crown Entities Act.

The Supplementary Order Paper 183 covers a number of consequential amendments to Crown entities legislation that were before Parliament at the time the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill was drafted.

Copies can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops, or viewed on www.treasury.govt.nz/pfssm/#documents (pdf file). The closing date for submissions is Friday, 2 April 2004.

Next week the committee will meet on 24 March, to consider Supplementary Order Paper 195 on the Income Tax Bill, referred by the House on 18 March 2004, and to further consider the March 2004 Monetary Policy Statement.

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz,)

The committee met on March 16 to consider the Maori Fisheries Bill. It will further consider the bill on March 23.

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

This week the committee considered the Building and Architects Bills. In regard to the committee's other work, submissions are being called for on the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) with a closing date of 2 April 2004 and the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill with a closing date of 30 April 2004.

The Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) is the annual statutes amendment bill that seeks to make miscellaneous amendments to 20 different Acts. It is an omnibus bill and provides for unrelated and non-controversial amendments to Acts already in force. The Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill seeks to address changes that have occurred in the nature and scale of offending, particularly in relation to the distribution of child pornography on the Internet. This bill also clarifies aspects of existing classification criteria and makes changes designed to improve the practical operation of the Act.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee heard evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of the Hawke's Bay District Health Board, and continued its consideration of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill. It also considered other items of business.

Next week the committee will hear evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of the Otago District Health Board. This will be open to the public from 10.00 am to 11.30 am, in room G.002, Parliament House.

It will also hear evidence on its inquiry into the health effects of Agent Orange. This will be open to the public from 11.45 am to 12.15 pm.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 17 March to consider the Care of Children Bill, Petition 2002/0055 of Lynley Jane Hood and Don Brash and 807 others, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill, and the Judicial Matters Bill.

At the committee's next meeting on 24 March, it will continue to consider the Care of Children Bill, the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill, and the Judicial Matters Bill.

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

The committee met on 17 March to continue consideration of the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill, the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Bill, and the Police Complaints Authority (Conditional Name Protection) Amendment Bill, and a petition.

The committee is calling for submissions on the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2). The closing date for submissions is 14 April 2004. The bill is the first review of sexual crimes contained in the Crimes Act 1961 and aims to update the law to reflect more recent changes in criminal behaviour and social attitudes towards sexual matters. The main amendments aim to ensure that:

- all sexual offences (with the exception of rape, which is a male-against-female offence only and is retained in the new bill) are expressed and applied in a sex-neutral manner

- the law's coverage for vulnerable groups is strengthened, including provisions relating to sexual offences against children, which are to be simplified into three groupings so they overlap and close a loophole that allows some offenders to escape conviction when the precise age of the child cannot be established

- offences based on "sexual intercourse' are extended to cover "sexual connection', as currently defined for the crime of "sexual violation'

- it will not be a defence to argue that the young person consented

- the penalties for sexual offending are set at an appropriate level

- a statutory basis for drug rape prosecutions is provided for

- the bill facilitates New Zealand's compliance with the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Copies of the bill can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops.

The committee requires 20 copies of each submission. Those wishing to include any information of a private or personal nature in a submission should first discuss this with the Clerk of Committee, as submissions are usually released to the public. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions should state this clearly and provide a daytime telephone contact number. For further guidance on making a submission, our publication Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee can be found on our web site at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

Submissions should be addressed as follows:

Tracey Rayner

Clerk of Committee

Law and Order Committee Secretariat

Parliament House

WELLINGTON

Contact for further details:

Martin Gallagher (Chairperson) on ƒv (04) 470 6591 or

Tracey Rayner (Committee Clerk) on ƒv (04) 471 9530 or

SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz

Local Government and Environment (Peter Hurndell , SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 16, 17, and 18 March to consider the Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill.

The committee is scheduled to meet next week on 25 March, to continue with the inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000 and the subsequent actions taken.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

On 18 March the committee heard evidence on the petition of Des Kahotea and 26 others requesting changes to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993. It also heard evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of the Maori Broadcasting Funding Agency Te Mangai Paho. The committee will not meet next week.

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

The committee met on 18 March. In the morning it heard evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of ASURE New Zealand Limited, considered further the 2002/03 financial reviews of AgriQuality New Zealand Limited and Quotable Value Limited and commenced consideration of the Meat Board Restructuring Bill with a briefing from Meat New Zealand. In the afternoon, it heard evidence on the bill.

Next week the committee will complete hearing evidence on the Meat Board Restructuring Bill and hear further evidence on the 2002/03 financial review of AgriQuality Limited

Regulations Review (Michael Wilkinson, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will next meet on 24 March to continue its consideration of the regulation-making powers in the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill. The meeting is open to the public between 8.30 am and 9.10 am during the hearing with officials from the Ministry of Economic Development.

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee heard evidence from Parentline on its 25th annual report. The committee will meet next week to consider a petition.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 18 March to hear submissions on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill from Judges of the Employment Court and the NZCTU.

The committee resumed consideration the 2002/03 financial review of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Railways Bill and the Sutherland petition regarding Paraparaumu Airport.

The committee will next meet in Christchurch on 25 March, from 9.45 am to 7.45 pm at the Antarctic Centre. The committee will hear further submissions on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill. This meeting will be open to the public.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Finance and Expenditure

- Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill (2 April 2004)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- Inquiry into New Zealand's relationship with Tonga (28 March 2004)

Government Administration

- Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) (2 April 2004)

- Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill (30 April 2004)

Justice and Electoral

- Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill (2 April 2004)

Law and Order

- Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) (14 April 2004)

Social Services

- Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Bill (23 April 2004)

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:

Louise Sparrer

Senior Parliamentary Officer

at louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 19 March 2004

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