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Speaker 1: So outside the powerscrapt the mill closure massive blow of

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Speaker 1: course for regional New Zealand. You've got a couple of mills,

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Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty jobs. Just like that, You've got

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Speaker 1: the chateau problem ongoing. Fucker, Papa, that's a mess. So

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Speaker 1: the whole regions in real trouble. The Minister for Regional Development,

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Speaker 1: the Associate Energy Minister as well, Shanged Jones, as with

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Speaker 1: this morning to you, Kay, is this about power or

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Speaker 1: is it about pulp and logs?

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Speaker 2: Ah, we can't control in New Zealand, Mike, the commodity prices.

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Speaker 2: We can't control foreign exchange. We can't control logistics at

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Speaker 2: the end of the Etoonomic railway line and will trade.

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Speaker 2: One thing we can control, though, is the structure and

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Speaker 2: the competitiveness of our power prices. And until such time

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Speaker 2: we start to look at options of breaking up the

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Speaker 2: power of each gent tailors who quite frankly have ruled

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Speaker 2: over various governments, intimidated them that your last speaker, I think,

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Speaker 2: if there's one thing I agree with her. Until we

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Speaker 2: boost competitiveness, you're going to see the aluminum sector telling

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Speaker 2: me they're going to start importing the corn growers are

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Speaker 2: doubtful whether they're going to grow because they kind of

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Speaker 2: they're worried about the cost of energy. And in course

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Speaker 2: we've got methodics briefing their start today about a substantial downgrade.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. Is the EA of any use to anybody

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Speaker 1: whatsoever or not?

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Speaker 2: Now, I've described the EA as a chocolate teapot, and

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Speaker 2: I stand by that because they've got all the powers

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Speaker 2: in the world. But I suspect that they've been intimidated

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Speaker 2: as well by the gent tailors. And look, it's up

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Speaker 2: to you and I as Kiwis and your listeners. Do

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Speaker 2: you want an economy where the price of power is

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Speaker 2: internationally competitive to keep businesses functioning? Or do you want

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Speaker 2: a disemvalue economy and turn it into an important model.

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Speaker 2: I don't want that, which is why Simeon Brown and

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Speaker 2: I are signing off the events signing off. Now the criteria,

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Speaker 2: and that criteria for the review of the power sector

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Speaker 2: will involve structural separation.

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Speaker 1: Okay, so how are you going to do that and

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Speaker 1: what timeframe is that on? Because you're starting that, you

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Speaker 1: get it. The rubbers hit the road now, it's real,

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Speaker 1: So announcements don't cut it. When do you do something

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Speaker 1: about the EA. When do you separate the gent tailors over.

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Speaker 2: What time In fairness to Simmy, he's already now that

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Speaker 2: he's looking for a number of new members for the EA.

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Speaker 2: I think the power is always been there. But look,

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Speaker 2: people have there had this nervousness, they've had this skitterishness.

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Speaker 2: Don't touch the power system. We trusted the power system

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Speaker 2: to deliver outcomes. They've boost international competitivists and national security.

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Speaker 2: They haven't. So we have to change it simple.

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Speaker 1: And over what time frame? Though, because this is a

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Speaker 1: here and now problem.

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Speaker 2: Yes, and I'm not walking away from that. And that's

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Speaker 2: a ghastly outcome for the people in all Harkuni in

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Speaker 2: that area. But the Power company solved the problem for

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Speaker 2: Reo Tinto. They had every opportunity and every incentive to

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Speaker 2: come up with a solution. For Winstone, they tried hard

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Speaker 2: and I find it's a very ghastly outcome. But obviously

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Speaker 2: the review has been signed off in short orders. The

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Speaker 2: work's already taking place with the Commerce Commission and the EA.

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Speaker 2: But hey mate, the reality is we're having a crack

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Speaker 2: at doing something remarkably different from the days of the

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Speaker 2: mid nineties and We've got to get to do it carefully.

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Speaker 2: So do we buger up the economy in the way

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Speaker 2: that Jasinda and Meghan Woods bug it up the guest

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Speaker 2: industry with the Juvenile announcement in twenty eighteen.

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Speaker 1: Appreciate time, Shane Jones, Energy Minister, Regional Development Minister. For

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Speaker 1: more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks.

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Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast

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Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.