Select Committee Business

From 16 February to 20 February 2015

Committee meetings

There were 15 committee meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Health Committee

• 2013/14 annual review of Auckland District Health Board, Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Canterbury District Health Board, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board

• 2013/14 annual review of Lakes District Health Board, MidCentral District Health Board, South Canterbury District Health Board, Tairawhiti District Health Board, Taranaki District Health Board

• 2013/14 annual review of Waikato District Health Board, West Coast District Health Board, Whanganui District Health Board

• 2013/14 annual review of Health Promotion Agency, Pharmaceutical Management Agency, Health Quality and Safety Commission

• 2013/14 annual review of Health and Disability Commissioner

Primary Production Committee

• Briefing from Te Ohu Kaimoana

• Petition 2011/0047 of Leona Plaisier on behalf of Save our Sounds

• Petition 2011/0068 of Jon Muller

Transport and Industrial Relations Committee

• 2013/14 annual review of the Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited, the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, FairWay Resolution Limited, Maritime New Zealand, and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission

Bills referred to select committees

Justice and Electoral

• Coroners Amendment Bill (239-1)

Committee notes

Commerce

The committee met on 19 February to consider and hear evidence on the Standards and Accreditation Bill, and consider and hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of Radio New Zealand, the Standards Council, and the Electricity Authority.

The committee will next meet on 26 February to further consider the Standards and Accreditation Bill, and consider and hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, and the Broadcasting Commission (NZ on Air). The committee will also consider its briefing on Information Technology Price Discrimination, Petitions 2011/95 of Carol Beaumont and 2011/96 of David Holm, and Petitions 2011/119 of Sue O’Neill, 2011/120 of Steve Crighton, and 2011/121 of Tim Gibson.

Education and Science

The committee met on 18 February 2015 to consider and hear evidence on the 2013/14 annuals reviews of the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office

The committee will next meet on 25 February 2015, when it will hear evidence from Education New Zealand and the Tertiary Education Commission.

Finance and Expenditure

The committee met on 18 February 2015 to consider the Taxation (KiwiSaver HomeStart and Remedial Matters) Bill, and the Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Ministry for Primary Industries: Managing the Primary Growth Partnership.

The committee will next meet on 25 February 2015.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

The committee met on 19 February to hear evidence on the international treaty examination of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement. The committee also considered the international treaty examination of the Agreement on Strengthening Implementation of the Niue Treaty on Cooperation in Fisheries Surveillance and Law Enforcement in the South Pacific Region.

The committee also further considered its inquiry into the Pacific Parliamentary and Political Leaders Forum.

The committee also further considered the 2013/14 annual reviews currently before it.

The committee will next meet on 26 February 2015.

Government Administration

The committee met on 18 February to hear evidence on the Gambling Amendment Bill (No 3). It also heard evidence on the 2013/14 annual review of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and on the 2013/14 annual review of the Lotteries Commission.

The committee will next meet on Wednesday 25 February when it will continue its consideration of the 2013/14 round of annual reviews. It will also hear evidence on petition 2011/127 of Charlotte Purdy.

Health

The committee met on 18 February to hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual review of the Southern District Health Board. It also considered the 2013/14 annual reviews of the following organisations: the Auckland District Health Board, the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, the Canterbury District Health Board, the Counties’ Manukau District Health Board, the Hawkes Bay District Health Board, the Lakes District Health Board, the MidCentral District Health Board, the South Canterbury District Health Board, the Tairawhiti District Health Board, the Taranaki District Health Board, the Waikato District Health Board, the West Coast District Health Board, the Whanganui District Health Board, the Health Promotion Agency, the Pharmaceutical Management Agency, the Health Quality and Safety Commission, and the Health and Disability Commissioner. The following petitions were also considered: 2011/122 Rachel Noble on behalf of Disabled Persons Assembly and 1,491 others, 2011/113 Helen Richardson, and 2011/102 Carmel Berry and Charlotte Korte. The committee also continued hearing evidence on the Health (Protection) Amendment Bill.

Public submissions on the Health (Protection) Amendment Bill have now closed.

The committee will next meet on 25 February.

Justice and Electoral

This week the committee heard evidence on the 2013/14 Annual reviews for the Parliamentary Counsel Office, Electoral Commission, Human Rights Commission, Law Commission, and the Privacy Commission.

Next week the committee will hear evidence on the 2013/14 Annual reviews for the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights Commission, and the Crown Law Office.

Law and Order

The committee met on 18 February 2015 to consider and hear evidence on the Policing (Cost Recovery) Amendment Bill and the Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Legislation Bill. It also considered the petition of William Rea.

The committee plans to meet again next week to continue hearing evidence on the Policing (Cost Recovery) Amendment Bill, and to hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Department of Corrections and the Serious Fraud Office.

Local Government and Environment

The committee met 19 February to hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. It also heard from the Commissioner on her report Changing Climate and Rising Seas: Understanding the Science.

Māori Affairs

The committee met this week to consider the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill, the Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill, the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Reo Whakapuaki Irirangi (Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency),and Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission). The committee also considered the inquiry into the financial performance and current operations of the Māori Television Service for the financial year ended 30 June 2014 and the inquiry into the financial performance and current operations of the Māori Trustee for the financial year ended 31 March 2014.

The committee will be meeting next week to consider the Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill. It will also hear evidence on the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Planning Committee Bill and the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill.

Primary Production

The committee met on 19 February to hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of Landcorp Farming Limited and AsureQuality Limited. It considered the briefing from Te Ohu Kaimoana and the report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Ministry for Primary Industries: Managing the Primary Growth Partnership. The committee also further considered the following petitions: 2011/68 of Jon Muller, and 2011/47 of Leona Plaisier on behalf of Save our Sounds.

The committee will next meet on 26 February.

Privileges

The committee met on 19 February 2015 for its first meeting of the 51st Parliament. The committee elected the Hon Christopher Finlayson as Chairperson and appointed the Hon David Parker as Deputy Chairperson.

The committee has called for public submissions on its examination of the Question of privilege regarding use of social media to report on parliamentary proceedings, with a closing date of Friday, 10 April 2015. The committee’s terms of reference for the examination can be viewed on the Parliament website.

Regulations Review

The committee met on 12 February to consider regulation-making powers in bills, Government responses to two reports from the Regulations Review Committee, and its Inquiry into Parliament’s legislative response to future national emergencies.

The committee has extended the deadline on its call for submissions on the inquiry from 1 March 2015 to 1 June 2015.

Social Services

The committee met on 18 February to consider its inquiry into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services, the Social Assistance (Portability to Niue, Cook Islands, and Tokelau) Bill, and the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Children’s Commissioner, the Families Commission, the Social Workers Registration Board, and Housing New Zealand Corporation. It also considered and heard evidence on the 2013/14 annual reviews of the Ministry of Social Development, and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service.

The committee will next meet on 25 February 2015, when it will hear evidence on the Social Assistance (Portability to Niue, Cook Islands, and Tokelau Bill, and the 2013/14 annual review of the Families Commission.

Transport and Industrial Relations

The committee met on 19 February 2015 to consider and hear evidence on the 2013/14 annual review of the Ministry of Transport and the New Zealand Transport Agency. The meeting was open to the public from 10.14am to 11.20am while the committee heard evidence from the Ministry of Transport and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The committee also considered the 2013/14 annual review of Maritime New Zealand, Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited, the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, Fairway Resolution Limited, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, the Accident Compensation Corporation, WorkSafe New Zealand, KiwiRail Holdings Limited, and the New Zealand Railways Corporation.

It also considered the Health and Safety Reform Bill, the petition of Jan Mossman, the briefing from the Office of the Auditor-General on assisting with annual reviews, and its two treaty examinations: the international treaty examination of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and the Amendments of 2014, and the international treaty examination of the Protocol of 2003 to the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage 1992 together with the Supplementary Fund Protocol.

The committee will meet again on Wednesday 26 February 2015, to consider and hear evidence on both treaty examinations as well as on the annual reviews of KiwiRail and the New Zealand Railways Corporation. The meeting will be open to the public from 10.15am to 11.15am while the committee hears evidence from John Spencer, the chair of KiwiRail and of the corporation, and Peter Reidy, the chief executive of KiwiRail. The meeting will be open from 11.40am to 12.40pm while the committee receives briefings from officials from the Ministry of Transport on the treaty examinations.

The committee will also consider the Health and Safety Reform Bill and the 2013/14 annual review of the Ministry of Transport, and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Closing dates for submissions

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

Government Administration

• Inquiry into the 2014 general election (31 March 2015)

Justice and Electoral

• Coroners Amendment Bill (26 March 2015)

Regulations Review

• Inquiry into Parliament's legislative response to future national emergencies (1 March 2015)

Submissions can be made online

General

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 20 February 2015

© Scoop Media