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?
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Even the portaloos were supporting the All Blacks during the Rugby World Cup. This one was seen in Breezes Road, Aranui".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The church of St Michaels and All Angels is undamaged after the two earthquakes. The pipe organ suffered significant but reparable damage. This church is now the only operational church within the city centre".
An aerial photograph of the Christchurch central city looking over the Tuam and Durham Streets intersection. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Tuam Street is the most prominent street in this photograph. Durham Street runs across the foreground, and St Michael of all Angels is in the bottom right corner".
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.
A video about Ryan Nelson, the captain of the All Whites and Christchurch local, visiting the HMNZS Otago. Ryan thanked the crew for their tireless efforts and support to the people of Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "A container of equipment is off-loaded from a C-130 Hercules". This equipment is a generator sent down from Auckland to support Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Defence Force personnel help with the aero-medical evacuation of elderly and vulnerable patients".
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Searching through the rubble". In the image, members of the South Australian Urban Search and Rescue team are digging through rubble in the central city. In the background, a digger can be seen.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Army Driver Section Commander 3 Transport CPL Andrew Eddington and Driver PTE Shay Heketa delivered chemical toilets to Eastern suburbs which were without water and power for over 10 days".
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "The burnt out lift well and staircase of the Canterbury Television building where 95 people are believed to have perished".
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "A Chinese Urban Search and Rescue worker on the job". This USAR member was working on the CTV building which collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "USAR workers sift through the crumbled ruins of a building". The building they are working on is the CTV building which collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "All Seasons Hotel, Cashel Street".
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).
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking west down Cashel Street from Manchester Street corner".
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.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "An unusual house in Zena Place, Horseshoe Lake. This area is all red zoned, so the land issues are such that all the houses will be demolished".
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?".
Damage to Wharetiki House. Wooden beams are all that remain of the roof.
An aerial photograph of Horseshoe Lake. All of this land is red-zoned.
An aerial photograph of Horseshoe Lake. All of this land is red-zoned.
An aerial photograph of Horseshoe Lake. All of this land is red-zoned.