(ed:..i will post a commentary at the close of proceedings…)
Questions to Ministers
1)..Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Prime Minister: In relation to the Government’s asset sales policy, does he stand by his reported comments that he has yet to see any official advice on a so-called “bonus scheme” for people who buy shares?
..key is not holding back in his insulting of norman…
..key sneers at labour for selling assets..
..mallard points out to key that labour were thrown out of power for nine years…for selling assets…
..peters is having an attack on keys’ merrill lynch record…
..mallard is asking key if he has told his backbenchers they will be out of power for at least nine years..and that most of them will lose their seats…should the assets be sold.
..noting that the people are more against asset sales now than they were then…
2)..PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Finance: How is the Government’s economic programme helping to build sustainable growth and higher incomes?
parker reels off a list of all that is wrong this govt is doing…with the stats to back it up…
3)..GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on asset sales?
key bangs on about labours’ asset sales in the 80′s again…
..shearer is doing a good job of quietly leaning in on key..
..(and key seems to have a bee in his bonnet about norman..keeps referring to him/attacking him..)
4)..Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA to the Minister for Social Development: What announcements has she recently made that will support the work of budgeting services around New Zealand?
5)..Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement to Parliament of 8 February 2011; in particular that “The Government is building the foundations that will encourage growth in exports”?
peters calls for key to reduce the value of the dollar decrease by 15%..
6)..Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does he agree with Molly Melhuish’s calculation that the amount charged by SOEs for electricity for an average consumer is $265 per annum less than is charged by non-SOE retailers, and if not, what was the weighted average of the annual total retail price charged by SOEs and their subsidiaries to a residential consumer using 8,000 kilowatt hours of electricity compared with the weighted average of the price charged by non-SOE suppliers, according to the most recent data?
much wrangling over stats..
7)..JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Social Development: Will she consider reviewing benefit levels in light of recent University of Otago research that shows that the 40 percent increase in real power prices since 2002 is now a health issue?
bennett refuses to accept that our third world poverty diseases have nothing to do with poverty/benefit levels..(!)
..bennett refuses to consider extending working for families to the poorest families..
8)..KATRINA SHANKS to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs: What is the Government doing to meet its commitment to allow fit and able New Zealand World War II veterans to attend key 70th Anniversary commemorations overseas?
9)..Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: What are the Treasury projections for New Zealand’s net international liabilities in 2016 as a percentage of GDP and in dollars, and what is the increase in dollars from the end of the year ended 30 June 2011?
up $67 billion by 2016…from 2012…
..english blames labour..
10)..HONE HARAWIRA to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What is the Government doing about pokie venues operating without a licence in poor communities like Otara, Porirua and Flaxmere?
11)..IAN McKELVIE to the Minister of Transport: What updates has he received on the state of repairs of the Manawatu Gorge?
roading update..
12)..JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement with regard to the Community Response Fund that “We listened to concerns that the fund was due to finish. The effects of the recession were still being felt, so we’re putting more funding in for 2011/12.”?
..bennett and ardern wrangle over refuge-funding..
summary:..shearer/norman/peters all did well..
..and all the action is in the early questions..
..a 3.5/10 questiontime…
