Select Committee Business

From 2 April to 8 April 2004

Committee meetings Seventeen committee meetings were held this week, 15 in the parliamentary complex, one in Rotorua and one in Gisborne.

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

Commerce 2002/03 financial review of Television New Zealand Limited 2002/03 financial review of the Broadcasting Standards Authority

Education and Science 2002/03 financial review of Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited 2002/03 financial review of Learning Media Limited

Finance and Expenditure Report on the Standard Estimates Questionnaire 2004/05

Bills referred to select committees The Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3) was referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee with a report due 14 June 2004. The Taxation (Annual Rates, Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee with a report due 6 October 2004. The Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill was referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee with a report due 14 June 2004.

Changes in committee membership Regulations Review John Carter replaced Pansy Wong.

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

Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met twice this week, firstly on 7 April to complete its 2002/03 financial reviews of Television New Zealand Ltd and the Broadcasting Standards Authority. The committee also considered the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill. The committee met again on 8 April to further its consideration on a number of other financial reviews. The committee will not be meeting over the adjournment.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 7 April to consider the 2002/03 financial reviews of the New Zealand Teachers Council, the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited and Learning Media Limited. It also heard evidence on the 2002/03 financial reviews of Tertiary Education Commission and Career Services.

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to consider the statutory draft of the Auditor--General’s annual plan 2004/2005, and the draft Standard Estimates Questionnaire 2004/2005. The committee also met with M J Nolan, a member of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service in the Dail Eireann, Ireland. The Committee will next meet on 20 April to hear oral submissions on the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill.

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee heard submissions on the Maori Fisheries Bill in Rotorua on 7 April, and in Gisborne on 8 April. There will be no meeting next week.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to hear evidence on its inquiry into New Zealand’s role in the promotion of international human rights. The committee also considered the Mercenary Activities (Prohibition) Bill, its inquiry into New Zealand’s relationship with Tonga, and the petition of Wallace Drummond.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament .govt.nz) This week the committee met to further consider the Building and Architects Bills, and received a briefing from the Office of the Controller and Auditor–General on its report entitled The State Services Commission Capability to Recognise and Address Issues for Maori. The committee will next meet on 29 April to continue consideration of the Building Bill. The committee is still inviting submissions on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill with a closing date of 30 April 2004.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee heard evidence from the Federation of Women’s Health Councils on the petition of Debbie and Tim Short and 124,000 others, which seeks an extension to the breast cancer screening programme. The committee also heard evidence from the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs and Trade on the agreement between the New Zealand and Australian Governments to establish a joint scheme for the regulation of therapeutic products. The Government presented this treaty to the House on 30 March 2004. The Health Committee must examine the treaty and its accompanying national interest analysis and report back to the House on any issues it considers should be brought to its attention. The committee is not scheduled to meet again until 28 April, when it will hear further evidence on the treaty.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 7 April to consider and hear evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill, and to consider the Sex Offenders’ Registry Bill, the Care of Children Bill, and the Judicial Matters Bill. The committee next meets will be on 21 April when it will consider and hear evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill, and consider the 2002/03 financial review of the Legal Services Agency, the Judicial Matters Bill, and the Care of Children Bill.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to consider the Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Bill, the Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill, and the International Treaty Examination for the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

The committee is calling for submissions on two bills; the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill. The Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) has a closing date for submissions of 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 Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill also has a closing date for submissions of 14 April 2004.

This bill amends the Police Complaints Authority Act 1988 to allow the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct (Commission of Inquiry) to fulfil its terms of reference to inquire into the adequacy of investigations which have been carried out by the Police on behalf of the Police Complaints Authority (the Authority), relating to investigations concerning complaints alleging sexual assault by members of the Police or by associates of the Police, or by both.

The bill specifically amends the secrecy provisions of the Act so that the Commission of Inquiry is not prevented from gaining access to information needed in order to carry out its functions. Copies of both bills 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

Local Government and Environment (Peter Hurndell, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to continue with the inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000 and the subsequent actions taken. It does not intend to meet next week.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee did not meet this week, and will not meet next week.

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met to receive a briefing from the Children’s Commissioner on its inquiry into factors contributing to poor outcomes for children and consider two petitions. The committee will meet next on 6 May to start hearing evidence on the Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Bill.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 8 April to consider the 2002/03 financial reviews of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, and the Civil Aviation Authority followed by consideration of the Railways Bill and, Petition 1999/231 of Ross Sutherland and 584 others. The committee also heard evidence on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill. The committee will meet 3 times in Auckland in late April to continue to hear evidence on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill. These meetings will be held at the Alexander Park Raceway on 28 April from 2.00 pm – 6.50 pm, 29 April from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm and 30 April from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. On 6 May the committee will meet in Dunedin at the Southern Cross Hotel to hear further submissions on the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill.

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

Finance and Expenditure Taxation (Annual Rates, Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (21 May 2004)

Government Administration 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) Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill (14 April 2004)

Local Government and Environment Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3) (closing date yet to be determined)

Primary Production Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 3) (3 May 2004)

Social Services Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Bill (23 April 2004) Charities Bill (3 June 2004)

Transport and Industrial Relations Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill (3 May 2004)

General You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz.

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