1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: If you were looking forward to today to learn how 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: the government would rescue the country from the energy crisis 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: we face, you are already disappointed by now because you've 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: looked at it and you've seen there's nothing here. There 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: is nothing here that is going to stop us going 6 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: through what we are going through right now, which is 7 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: for months and months every winter for the last two winters, 8 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: the closing down of mills, extremely high power bills, running 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: out of gas. All of that's going to continued. The 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: disappointing thing is that we have waited two whole winters 11 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: for this package of ideas, and yet the best idea 12 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: seems to me to be a kooky idea, which is 13 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: the government maybe backing the construction of an alerng import terminal, 14 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: which was an idea that sounded great last winter, but 15 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: in the months since, when we've actually had a look 16 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: at the thing and had some reports done, it has 17 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,639 Speaker 1: been debunked for being quite expensive for not a lot 18 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: of gain. It would cost somewhere to set up one 19 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: of these terminals, most likely at the port of Tartanaki. 20 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: It would cost somewhere between two hundred million dollars and 21 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: a billion dollars, which is not money that we have. 22 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: The gas that we would then import from offshore to 23 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: basically make up for the shortage of gas that we 24 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: have in the country at the moment would be expensive. 25 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: It would be very expensive gas. Have a look at 26 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: what you're paying for your gas right now, add twenty 27 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: five percent to that. The second best idea in this 28 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: seems to be the government throwing tax payer money at 29 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: the partially owned gent tailors in order that they can 30 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: raise capital to build more generation, which is not capital 31 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: that they appear to be asking for. They do not 32 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: seem to have a shortage of money, as evidenced by 33 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: the fact that they keep paying out massive dividends. The 34 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: upshot for all of this as in, how much are 35 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: we going to save? Simon wats reckons he might be 36 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: able to drop power prices by two percent a year. 37 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: Two percent. Now, I'll tell you the problem with this 38 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: plan is that it appears and from what I hear, 39 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: they haven't spent much time understanding the problem and thus 40 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: understanding what it would take to fix it properly. So 41 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: what they've done is in haste, cobbled together a series 42 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: of what sound like maybe decent announcements. If you're half listening, 43 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: but raally things that will not do that much. Unfortunately 44 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: for them. We have an energy crisis and it is massive. 45 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: It is probably the biggest thing that is facing business 46 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: in this country right now. A crisis of the size 47 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: demands a proper fix. This is becoming a theme for 48 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: this government, having lots of really big things to deal 49 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: with and they're not really dealing with them properly. This 50 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: is not really a fix. So, unfortunately, and I'm so 51 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: sorry to say this, strap yourself in because it looks 52 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: like for next winter, in the winters to come, the 53 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: de industrialization of New Zealand will continue. For more from 54 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd 55 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.