Written questions

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What advice, if any, does the Minister have for parents who have sent Kmart letters asking for reimbursement of the costs of testing and cleanup of their homes for asbestos in children's sand products but haven't received a response from…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister given MBIE a deadline to "update its advice" to the public about children's sand products; if so, when?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• 33162 (matches this search)

  Following the publication of AUT testing on 2 July 2026 that showed asbestos in contaminated sand can be airborne, is the Government considering a ban on the sale of these products, and if so, when?

• 33164 (matches this search)

  Is the Minister considering a ban of children's sand products sold in New Zealand; if so, when would this ban come into force?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Consumer NZ that people with children who may have been exposed by asbsestos affected sand products needed “clarity” on what to do; if so, what clarifications, if any, is the Minister or Government intending to…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the New Zealand workplace regulator's testing show that the asbestos fibres in children's sand products were of a respirable size; if so, when did the Minister of Consumer Affairs become aware of this?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the New Zealand workplace regulator challenge the Australian recall statements for asbestos affected children's sand products “from the get-go”; if so, what was the timeline?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Is the Minister aware of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) research that found 90% of craft sand samples did release asbestos into the air when played with; if so, what actions, if any, did he take when he learned of this?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with the Guardian's conclusion that the safety claim of the suppliers of children's sand products became the de facto position of the New Zealand government, despite having no additional evidence to support it; if…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Should parents have "every confidence" in this Government's handling of children's sand products possibly contaminated by asbestos; if so, why?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Under one option the Minister is considering regarding children's sand products, will testing and certification of products sold in New Zealand be done by the seller or by an independent entity?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What does the Minister mean by the statement, regarding product safety for children's play sand, “I want advice as to what the options are, and so, whatever the outcome is, we are toughening up on this product"?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the Minister release to the public, outside the OIA process, the advice that he asked for on 2 July 2026 about how to toughen up rules on children’s play sand; if so, when and how?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  On what date did the Minister first know that children's sand products that were sold and recalled in New Zealand could have released cancer-causing asbestos fibres into the air?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 30284, are tenants allowed to install blinds in Kāinga Ora homes; if so, are they also responsible for purchasing them?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 30284 (2026), will the timetable for Kāinga Ora houses to comply with any changes to mandatory safety standards for blinds be the same as the rest of New Zealand; if not, why not?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 30284 (2026), will tenants of Kāinga Ora homes will be notified if existing corded blinds are identified as requiring replacement; if so, when?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 30284 (2026), are there any barriers to complying with mandatory safety standards for existing corded blinds in Kainga Ora houses; if so, what?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• 33129 (matches this search)

  Further to 30284 (2026), what steps has the Minister taken to engage with Kāinga Ora regarding implementation of mandatory safety standards for existing corded blinds in its homes?

• 33130 (matches this search)

  Further to 30284 (2026), what advice, if any, has the Minister received on how Kāinga Ora will identify homes with existing corded blinds once mandatory safety standards are introduced?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  When will the one-year transition period for mandatory corded blind safety regulations start; and if it does not start from the date of the Government's announcement on 30 June 2026, why not?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 6 July 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 6 July 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 6 July 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 6 July 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 6 July 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 6 July 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 29 June 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 29 June 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 29 June 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 29 June 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 29 June 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the Minister read paragraph 58 of the Regulatory Impact Statement that noted there are "over 1 million corded coverings sold each year"; if so, will the more than one million cord coverings sold in New Zealand in 2026 be subject to…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  If mandatory compliance with an international product safety standard is this Government's policy position for new corded blinds, why did it take until June 2026 to announce this?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the Minister rely on the "Regulatory Impact Statement: Options for addressing the risk posed by corded window coverings" in making his decision to introduce mandatory standards?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the Government change its position on mandatory safety standards for corded blinds; if so, why?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with the statement in the Cabinet Paper, released on 1 July 2026, that "A series of tragic incidents over recent years, including multiple child deaths, demonstrates that non-regulatory interventions have not been…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Why did the Minister not highlight in his press release of 30 June 2026 the information in the Cabinet Paper, published on 1 July 2026, that concluded "While MBIE, and other organisations, have undertaken education campaigns to encourage…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What time period, if any, will there be for consultation on an exposure draft of the regulations for mandatory safety standards for new corded blinds?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  If businesses have one-year to comply with mandatory safety standards for corded blinds after they are introduced, is the Minister concerned that online retailers will be able to sell unsafe corded blinds products to New Zealand consumers…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What advice, if any, does the Minister have for families who cannot currently afford to replace unsafe corded blinds?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the Government's announcement of mandatory safety standards for corded blinds apply to existing blinds in Kainga Ora houses?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  According to MBIE advice, how many corded blinds are currently in New Zealand households that do not meet internationally recognised safety standards; listed by approximate number of blinds?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Why did it take the Government until June 2026 to announce that it would be mandatory for new corded window coverings to meet internationally recognised safety standards, when MBIE consulted on mandatory safety requirements for corded…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What advice, if any, has the Minister received on which international safety standards will be introduced for new corded blinds sold in New Zealand; listed by standard?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  According to MBIE advice, how many New Zealand households have corded blinds that do not meet internationally recognised safety standards; listed by the approximate number of households?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Did the Minister read Audrey Young's article of 12 February 2026 that noted, regarding corded blind safety in New Zealand, "the record has been woeful"?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What, if anything, changed between 12 February 2026 when the Government said it was not introducing mandatory safety regulations for corded window coverings, and June 2026 when it announced it would?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  If internationally recognised safety standards for new corded window coverings will be made mandatory through an amendment to the Fair Trading Act, and the Minister has given businesses one year to comply once standards are made, is the…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Were options of less than a one-year transition period considered by the Minister for businesses to meet internationally recognised safety standards for new corded window coverings once mandatory standards are introduced; if so, why did…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Which date, by month and year, will new standards be made mandatory under the Fair Trading Act for new corded window coverings to meet internationally recognised safety standards?