1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Henner. Obviously, the main pressure that's been piled on the 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,519 Speaker 1: government is over the levee that it's imposing on households 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: after campaigning on removing taxes. The Energy Minister Simon Watts 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: is asked to come on the show to respond to 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: these attacks and is with us, Hi, Simon, Good evening, Heather, 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: what are people getting wrong? 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 2: So the levee point is a levee to build the 8 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: infrastructure that will go on the electricity sector. We'll also 9 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 2: see a downward pressure on energy prices and if you 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 2: net those two things off, we'll see a net benefit 11 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 2: to households and we will see downward pressure in terms 12 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: of household bills. I listened to that interview before, Heather, 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 2: and the reality is we've already got proof of the 14 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: pudding in twenty four that energy prices spiked because we 15 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: didn't have enough gas and Huntley does not cover enough 16 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: of that gap with coal alone. We need gas and 17 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 2: we need those molecules and that's the problem we're facing 18 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: and importation will allow us to get that gas. 19 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: Seems to me that politically, at least your biggest problem 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: is going to be running a campaign, will have a 21 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: crack at labor for wanting to tax us when you 22 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: yourself are taxing us. So what about Jordan Williams and 23 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: the Taxpayer Union's idea, which is to sell off some 24 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: of the I guess some of the publicly floated the 25 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: share you have in the publicly floated assets and ring 26 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: fence that and use that money to build the facility 27 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: instead of taxing us to pay to build the facility. 28 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, hither we both know that labor are just 29 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: trying to create a distraction. You know this is a 30 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 2: net savings for helphold a conversation around assets sales. 31 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: Simon. 32 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 2: Sales. 33 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: You can you can you can turn this into a 34 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: labour's having a cracket. You think I am a punter 35 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: who's going to vote in November, and I'm telling you 36 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: now you're taxing me, and that's going to be a problem. 37 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: We're not taxing you. There is a net benefit to 38 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: household power bills and businesses as a role of it 39 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: is a benefit and is a levy cost. But let's 40 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: talk about the ASTI sales, which is a question. PM's 41 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: made our position pretty clear on asset sales. It's not 42 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 2: something that's on the table this term. And you know 43 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: we will won't campaign on So that's where we are on, 44 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: all right. 45 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: Is this something that is this a concession to Shane Jones? 46 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: Is this something Shane wanted in one of the meetings 47 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: and has now got. 48 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: No. This is a solution to the underlying problem that 49 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 2: we faced in twenty four, which is we do not 50 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: have sufficient gas to make electricity to keep the lights on, 51 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,119 Speaker 2: and we need to be able to import that gas. 52 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 2: And if we've got certainty of that supply, then we've 53 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 2: got certainty of being able to keep the lights on. 54 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: And that certainty is important not only for households and businesses, 55 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 2: but also for gas users that are trying to make 56 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: you back. I mean, the last person said, hey, the 57 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: way we deal with this one way is to tell 58 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: industry to shut down production. Well, that's insane. You know, 59 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 2: we want to be building and making as much as 60 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: we can in this country. I don't want to turn 61 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: down the dials of invery industry every time I have 62 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: a dry year. That doesn't cut it. We need a 63 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: much more strategic solution and an importation of gas, does 64 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: the author Simon? 65 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: I appreciate your time, and I really appreciate you taking 66 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: the time to come on the show again. Look after 67 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: yourself and we'll talk soon. Simon, what's the Energy Minister? 68 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: For More from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive and Live to 69 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 70 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.