Written questions

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister support a cap on the amount of money people could make from reselling tickets?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What laws, if anything, does the Minister intend to pass to prevent ticket scalping in New Zealand?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Consumer New Zealand that New Zealand needs a live-event ticket resale market that "works well and is fair for consumers"?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister intend a review on the impact of the Buy Now Pay Later changes; if yes, in what format?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Consumer New Zealand that ticket scalping is a "rip-off" for consumers?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Is the Minister considering stronger mandatory recall powers for unsafe consumer products, if at all?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 59075 (2025), has the Government written to banks to encourage them to standardise financial information, if so when, and will the letter be made public?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister believe that industry needs regulation to protect consumers from market failure; if yes, which industries need priority in 2026 in New Zealand?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Professors Shaw and Sims that there is a need for asbestos testing in products at risk of contamination at the border to reduce the risk of them entering New Zealand and adversely affecting New Zealanders’…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with the proposed new UK approach of making it illegal to resell tickets for live events at a price above the original cost, and if so, will he introduce legislation to do the same in New Zealand?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 59125, is the Minister aware that Kmart NZ sold approximately 864 units of Licensed Sensory Activity Sets: Frozen Bluey and Paw Patrol which has returned positive results for the presence of asbestos and has now been recalled?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister asked officials for advice on how many tickets, if any, for live events in New Zealand are resold at a price above the original cost?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What further policy work, if any, does the Minister intend to advance in 2026 to reform the Consumer Guarantees Act?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister support the Salvation Army's call for Buy Now Pay Later schemes to be banned for the purchase of alcohol?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 58948, what advice, if any, has the Minister asked for regarding consumer protections when algorithms are used for price-setting purposes?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 58948, what policy work, if any, does the Minister or his officials intend to pursue in 2026 into algorithmic collusion and the uses of artificial intelligence in the area of competition law and policy, including where…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 59119, what advice, if any, does the Minister have for potentially affected families if they cannot afford the upfront cost of upwards of $3000 for testing an entire home for the presence of asbestos from consumer sand products?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What directions, if any, did the Minister receive from the Prime Minister about consumer protection when taking the portfolio?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister support the 140 working day statutory timeframe for merger clearances in the Commerce (Promoting Competition and Other Matters) Amendment Bill?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What lobby groups, if any, has the Minister met since taking office?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister intend to meet with any families affected by cord-related fatalities; if not, why not?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 4138, does the Minister agree with Coroner Borrowdale in his 2021 report who said "the incidence of window cord fatalities in this country, and the availability of preventative devices, to my mind readily make the case for…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister intend to report publicly on the Government’s final decision following MBIE’s 2023 consultation on window covering safety; if so, when?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 4109, would the Minister support MBIE to increase spending on initiatives on corded window blinds safety?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 4109, does the Minister believe that $6030 is sufficient MBIE annual spending on initiatives on corded window blinds safety?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Will the Minister work with Labour on product safety standards for corded window coverings for children?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister asked for, or received, any MBIE advice on the feasibility of phasing out the sale of corded window coverings over a defined transition period?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 4108, does the Minister believe that burden to taxpayers to implement mandatory product safety standards for corded blinds is too high for the deaths of children it would prevent; if not, does he support mandatory product safety…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has any policy work been initiated by the Minister on regulation of corded window coverings; if yes, on what date?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What, if anything, is the Minister's policy plan to respond to the tens of thousands of potentially asbestos laced children’s sand products that have been sold and reached New Zealand households and schools?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Further to 4165 (2026), can the Minister or his officials confirm if any more than 23,109 units of potentially asbestos laced children’s sand products have been sold and reached New Zealand households and schools since 13 February 2026; if…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Audrey Young from the NZ Herald that blind cord safety "should be a pressing issue" for the Government?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with Coroner Hesketh in his report that the number of deaths from corded blind strangulations in New Zealand is increasing?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister agree with the mother of the three-year-old who was accidentally strangled by a corded blind that "if mandatory safety regulations had been in place, [their child] would still be with [them] today"?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  On what date, if any, did the Minister receive any oral briefing from MBIE, either initiated himself or prompted by officials, specifically relating to the safety risks of corded internal window coverings?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister met with any families of victims or children killed from corded window blind strangulations?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Government intend to adopt Australian corded blind safety standards in New Zealand in future Australian-New Zealand standards rounds; if not, what is the issue, if any, preventing this from happening?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister believe that corded window coverings are a known and preventable strangulation risk to young children in New Zealand?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister considered introducing an interim mandatory standard for corded blinds pending longer-term regulatory work; if not, why not?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What further reform, if any, is the Minister considering for the Commerce Act?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister received advice on whether Australia has stronger product safety standards for corded window coverings as compared to New Zealand, and if so, what was that advice?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister received advice on whether Canada has stronger product safety standards for corded window coverings as compared to New Zealand, and if so, what was that advice?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What is one consumer protection regulation, if any, that you intend to introduce immediately?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  What actions, if any, does the Minister plan to take to protect kiwi consumers from subscription traps and hidden fees?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• 12936 (matches this search)

  Does the Minister intend to address the rise in insurance premiums; if yes, what actions?

• 12953 (matches this search)

  What, if anything, is the Minister's policy agenda for residential insurance pricing and affordability and the impact of recent price increases on consumers?

• 12954 (matches this search)

  What initiatives, if any, is the Minister considering when it comes to affordability of insurance for kiwi consumers?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Are banks making excessive profits at the expense of mortgage holders; if yes, what actions do you intend to take?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister support Consumer New Zealand's position that New Zealand needs a national anti-scam framework requiring banks, telcos and digital platforms to take action to address scams and outlining their liability if they fail to…

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Does the Minister support Consumer New Zealand that banks should refund scam victims for authorised and unauthorised scam payments unless the victim has been grossly negligent?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  If the Minister has read the Coroner's report into the death of a three-year-old due to accidental neck compression from a corded blind, what actions, if any, does he intend?

Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

• (matches this search)

  Has the Minister read the Coroner's report into the death of a three-year-old due to accidental neck compression from a corded blind; if not, will he undertake to read it?