1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't blame CRSs, Sipkins and co. For, 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, for a moment, for calling it a gas tax, 3 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: which is what they've been banging on about this week, 4 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: the gas tax. The gas tax. I mean, that's politics 5 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: when you're in opposition, especially when you've got no policies yourself. 6 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: You notice no one's actually asked them what their policy is. 7 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: So for all the banging on about, you know, it's 8 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: no good. What's your policy? What I despair about is 9 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: yet another chapter of myopic nonsense around dumb words for 10 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: cheap points. The truth is comparatively simple. Most of it 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: is indisputable. So here's the indisputable stuff. We need more 12 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: power supply than we have. We need more reliable power 13 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: supply than we have. We got caught dangerously short in 14 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: the winter of twenty four. Labour and turning off the 15 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: gas wreck the industry caused untold damage. The Huntly Cold 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: deal is part of the solution, and LNG importation facility 17 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: is another part. We need a power supply tap, hydro, 18 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: wind and solar, isn't it Even if it is the 19 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: bulk of supply, it is reliant on things we can't control, right, God, 20 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: all that, so we all agree on all of that. Right. 21 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: So the cost of LNG is a billionish someone's got 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: to pay for that. The government could pay, of course, 23 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: but they would need to borrow more money. Wisely, they've 24 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: chosen not to. The industry could pay through a levee. 25 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: That is what we have chosen. Will they pass that on? Yes? 26 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: Why wouldn't they? Do you like that? No? Why would you? 27 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: But at all times come back to the basic issue. 28 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: Do you want heating in winter every winter like a 29 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: first world country? Do you want a business to be 30 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: able to operate at full capacity like a first world country? 31 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: So it isn't a tax. A tax is a forced 32 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: payment by government. That's not what this is. It's an 33 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: increased power bill to eventually get a power bill that 34 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been as high if we hadn't built a 35 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: backstop for supply. It is the cost of rectifying an 36 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: embarrassing wrong. You might want to remember that when you vote. 37 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Fixing broken stuff costs money. Now, it is human to 38 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: want others to pay for stuff, but that's not how 39 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: life works. If you want a spot price of eight 40 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: hundred dollars in the dead of winter, the highest in 41 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: the world, than doing nothing will work well for you. 42 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: We need more emphasis on the future and on improvement, 43 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: and less on the petty and the political point scoring. 44 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have thought any of that's complicated. Now you 45 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: might not be thrilled, but it's not complicated. For more 46 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: from the My Asking Breakfast, listen live to news Talks 47 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: at B from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 48 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.