Questions to Ministers
1. JACQUI DEAN to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the economy?
2. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Will he rule out making cuts to Working for Families payments this year; if not, why not?
3. TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What changes is the Government making to Family Start to ensure a greater focus on protecting children from abuse and neglect?
4. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the Prime Minister that "anyone on a benefit actually has a lifestyle choice…some make poor choices, and they do not have money left"?
5. KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI to the Minister of Civil Defence: Did he meet with business leaders in Christchurch yesterday to discuss the Civil Defence state of national emergency operations; if so, what was the outcome of that meeting?
6. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Minister of Finance: Who was right, the Prime Minster who predicted that the New Zealand economy would grow "reasonably aggressively" in 2010-11, or the last four quarterly NZIER consensus forecast updates for GDP, which have progressively declined from 3.2 percent to just 0.8 percent for the year to March 2011?
7. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister of Finance: Which response to the Christchurch earthquake carries a greater risk of a credit downgrade: increased government borrowing or a temporary earthquake levy?
8. PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Local Government: When he said "Auckland's fragmented governance has meant a lack [of] leadership and vision, but soon its leaders will be able to think regionally, plan strategically and act decisively", did he mean only if they agree with the Government's plan for Auckland?
9. JO GOODHEW to the Minister of Education: What were the results of the Accelerating Learning in Mathematics Pilot Study?
10. Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Minister for Biosecurity: Does he agree with the statements made by John Lancashire and Stew Wadey, President of Waikato Federated Farmers, in the Dominion Post yesterday that New Zealand is exposed to greater risk of incursions or exotic pests at our borders as a result of the "fast-tracking of tourists", the "attempts to abolish import restrictions", and his axing of 60 frontline border staff?
11. MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Acting Minister of Energy and Resources: What reports has she received on levels of renewable electricity generation?
12. CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister for ACC: Does he stand by his answer to question 4 on Thursday last week "that funding will be taken from either the earners account or the work account" and "that a higher proportion of claims than the overall average for ACC are actually in the work account"; if not, why not?
Canterbury novelist Joanna Orwin has a new, futurist story of a New Zealand changed by cataclysmic volcanoes and tsunami, Sacrifice. And we hear about some of the stories in a post-earthquake Christchurch anthology, Tales for Canterbury.
The All Blacks have announced this morning that they'll play an extra test match this year, to raise money for the rebuild of Christchurch.
Some Christchurch schools are so worried about the impact of February's earthquake on their students that they want special consideration to be given in their exam marks.
The All Blacks have met with the families of those killed in the February earthquake, as part of their three day visit to Christchurch.
As part of the future of Christchurch it is expected a third of all Catholic and almost half of all Presbyterian churches damaged in Christchurch's February earthquake might not be rebuilt.
Labour Party leader Phill Goff has been in Christchurch all day.
Pyne Gould building tenants in Christchurch have told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Canterbury Earthquakes hearing they didn't feel safe there after the September quake.
A Christchurch school has bought ukuleles for all its children out of earthquake donations.
The Catholic basilica in Christchurch was further damaged in Monday's earthquake making its demolition all but inevitable.
The Canterbury earthquakes will wipe out all the funds held in reserve to cover claims to the Earthquake Commission.
It all started two years ago today at 4:36 in the morning, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Canterbury.
A month on from the Christchurch earthquake, all but a handful schools in the city are back up and running.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says all but a few Cantabrians will be able to rebuild on their original properties.
Tourism, native planting, and bee keeping are all possibilities a community lead working group is waiting on government funding to explore.
The Earthquake Commission has just two days to settle all of the Canterbury earthquake claims worth less than 15-thousand-dollars.
A new plan will see all dangerous earthquake-damaged buildings in Christchurch's Cashel Mall pulled down or made safe by mid-July.
West Auckland residents begin the cleanup after yesterday's tornado. The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission calls for the seismic grading of all non-residential buildings.
The earthquake was felt as far afield as Te Awamutu and Christchurch, with residents from all the places in between describing it as extremely frightening.
The Education Minister is waiting for the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission to report back before considering a national survey of all school buildings in the country.
The Canterbury earthquakes succeeded in all but destroying modern-day Christchurch, but from the rubble has emerged a surprising bonus - an insight into the city's history.
When the Canterbury earthquakes brought about the destruction of almost all of the buildings in central Christchurch, it created a unique opportunity for an insight into the past.
The declaration by the Finance Minister that all spending is now under review has prompted warnings that the Christchurch earthquake should not be used to push through unpopular policies.
All Christchurch secondary schools involved in rowing have made it to the annual Maadi Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro in Waikato despite major setbacks caused by the February earthquake.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is now double checking all of its paperwork following fears earthquake rubble dumped in a Christchurch land fill could have been contaminated by asbestos.
A researcher of the Israeli spy agency MOSSAD says the suspicious activity of four Israeli students during the Christchurch earthquake bears all the hallmarks of a classic intelligence operation.
An Assistant Police Commissioner may have to give evidence in Kim Dotcom's compensation case and the Government accepts almost all the recommedations made by the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.
The Week In Review for week ending 12 August 2011... featuring a new rebuild plan for Christchurch's earthquake ravaged CBD, problems at the Waikato-Tainui Tribal Parliament, a pricing fiasco surrounding the Adidas All Blacks Rugby World Cup jersey, the Mana party confirms it will contest all seven Maori seats and some general seats in November's general election, the renaming of Mt Cook's South Ridge to The Hillary Ridge and the White Mouse passes away.
The family of a Christchurch earthquake victim wants the Royal Commission to investigate all Search and Rescue efforts during the disaster. The Government faces a higher-than-forecast Budget deficit.
Politicians have praised the courage and resilience shown by Canterbury residents following Saturday's earthquake. MPs from all the parties in Parliament had an opportunity to address the House this afternoon.
