New Zealand First Will Support Greypower Power Price Call
New Zealand First is supporting the drive by Grey Power in their nationwide motion of no-confidence in the present
government’s power-price policy and in Energy Minister Pete Hodgson.
Grey Power earlier this week called the Minister a ‘straw man’ and have passed a no-confidence motion in his ability to
control power prices.
Energy spokesperson, Peter Brown MP, said today that: “Before the election both Labour and the Alliance promised to
regulate power prices. It seems that they were quite prepared to talk the talk, but not to walk the walk. The rhetoric
between what was promised and what has been delivered is stark. Before the election the now-minister said that the power
industry was a mess, and that the power reforms had failed, but after 27 months in government nothing has changed.
“As soon as the election was over, power price reform was immediately put in the ‘too hard’ basket. The result of which
has seen price-hike after price-hike.
“We understand the very grave concerns that Grey Power has for its members on the receiving end of price-hikes, many of
whom are on fixed incomes and are struggling to pay their power bills, despite the promises.
“MPs are being flooded by letters and phonecalls from hard-working New Zealanders, retired people and people on a fixed
incomes who are finding it harder and harder to pay their power bills. I am going to be working closely with groups such
as Grey Power to ensure that we see action and not just words.
ENDS
Note:
On 22 April 1999, then opposition Spokesman on Energy Pete Hodgson said in Parliament:
“The electricity reforms have been a comprehensive failure. They have failed publicly, demonstrably, and badly. They
have failed for half a million householders this week. The reforms that were supposed to deliver lower prices are
delivering higher prices. How do we know that they were supposed to be delivering lower prices? It is because the
Minister of for Enterprise and Commerce said so. The Prime Minister said so. The Government said so, and it said time
and again, month after month, that the reforms would bring lower prices—and they have not. Prices have gone up, not
down.”
16 February 1999 in Parliament, Pete Hodgson said:
“There is no regulation of monopolies, and no one useful regulation is in the wind. Water is being split in the south
while gas is being burnt in the north. If TransAlta were ever to buy Contact Energy, then that company would be bigger
than ECNZ is now. We have a mess.”