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.
A television announcer sits at his desk reading the news. He says 'The shake which lasted 75 minutes and caused widespread damage in living rooms all over the country measured 5.18 on the rugby scale and was centred on Port Elizabeth in South Africa'. Context: The All Blacks lost to the Springboks 5-18 in a tri-nations test match in South Africa only a few days before the World Cup kick-off. Fans have been warned not to panic. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
The All Blacks have met with the families of those killed in the February earthquake, as part of their three day visit to Christchurch.
The cartoon is a spoof of Rodin's famous sculpture 'The thinker' and shows it with a globe for its head. It holds a newspaper that reads 'Massive 'quake in Japan - ChCh. 'quake, China 'quake, Aus. Floods fires etc. etc.' The thinker ponders 'What's with all these disasters?..' Context - The massive earthquake in Japan that led to a devastating tsunami and now threats from several damaged nuclear power stations, the earthquakes in Christchurch on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province on March 15, 2011, and the January floods in Queensland, Australia, as well as bush fires on the outskirts of the Western Australia capital Perth. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
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.
The earthquake size detecting penguins all lined up and waiting.
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.
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 18 May 2011 entitled, "Where have all the fun times gone?".
This statue of the Virgin Mary stood in the south tower of The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and had been facing inside from when she was placed there and through the September 2010 earthquake. That changed on February 22 2010 at 12.51pm when Christchurch was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. During the violent shaking motion Mary was t...
A Christchurch school has bought ukuleles for all its children out of earthquake donations.
Geoff Rice poses with his new book "All Fall Down" at the UBS book launch.
Geoff Rice poses with the new book "All Fall Down" at the UBS book launch.
A woman standing in a doorway which is all that remains of a demolished building.
Geoff Rice poses with the new book "All Fall Down" at the UBS book launch.
In the top panel a kiwi reads the newspaper which has headlines reading 'Milk prices', 'BMW limos', 'Dodgy politicians', and 'Foreign despot news' and says 'Let's get this all in perspective'. In the lower panel the kiwi walks among the ruins and the graves of Christchurch and thinks 'Christchurch and Canterbury need our attention and care!!' Context - The very severe Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 in which probably more than 200 people died and an enormous amount of structural damage has been done. The headlines refer to Fonterra putting a freeze on the price of milk, the government buying expensive limos (both of these making headlines because of the state of the economy) and lastly the 'foreign despot' is Gaddafi in Libya. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Batman is abroad in the night in 'Gotham City' and says 'Well we're all going batty down here!' Context: A reference to Christchurch, still struggling to recover from the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Wood all wrapped up and ready to be made into decks at the College of Education.
Road cones on the street beside the St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church and School.
A professional association which represents all practising lawyers in New Zealand. Has a section on Earthquake assistance.
The Catholic basilica in Christchurch was further damaged in Monday's earthquake making its demolition all but inevitable.
A positive message to us all after the 6.3 magnatude quake hit Christchurch 22 February 2011.
Geoff Rice with new book We All Fall Down - Christchurch's Lost Chimneys, published by CUP Canterbury University Press.
Nikki Evans and son Reuben with their book titled "Eloise Manu and Room 20 know all about being turtles".
Nikki Evans and son Reuben with their book titled "Eloise Manu and Room 20 know all about being turtles".
The Canterbury earthquakes will wipe out all the funds held in reserve to cover claims to the Earthquake Commission.
A month on from the Christchurch earthquake, all but a handful schools in the city are back up and running.