8. Energy and Resources—Fuel Prices Electricity Costs and Offshore ExplorationJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesEnergy and Resources—Fuel Prices Electricity Costs and Offshore Exploration 8. JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she stand by all of her policies and actions in relation to the energy sector?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): Yes.Jonathan Young: Have the initial findings of her review of petrol prices indicated that the biggest driver of fuel price increases will be the new petrol taxes imposed by Phil Twyford and Phil Goff?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: In order to carry out the review into fuel margins we require the Commerce Commission to have the powers to carry out market studies. We have started that piece of work by having that bill on the floor of this House. This I note was the same approach the previous Government was going to take; only I'm very pleased to report we were able to get that legislation on to the floor of the House within the first six months of our term. We look forward to the Commerce Commission having those market study powers.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I'd make the point that most of what the Government did in its first six months was from the previous Government's efforts.SPEAKER: Order! Order! No no the member knows that that's not a point of order. The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If Ministers are going to make outrageous claims like that—and we saw it from Grant Robertson today effectively saying that everything that's good in the economy was to do with him—then surely we should be able to point out that they are just that: outrageous claims and nothing to do with them.SPEAKER: This again the member knows absolutely is not a point of order. I'm sort of slightly loath to take things much further with the member at the moment but I would ask the member as one of the most senior members on that side of the House and one of the most senior members in the Chamber if he can help his team—because he has some memory of being in Opposition and the way questions especially aggressive questions are asked and answered from that side—if he could share that with them rather than providing an example that reminds me more of myself in the past than being positive.Jonathan Young: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand what the Minister is saying in terms of the market studies and the Commerce Commission bill going through the House at the moment but my question was regarding the initial findings of her review and the Minister did say at the end of last year that pending that legislation going through she had instructed the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment to look at mechanisms by which she could address the price increases of petrol and I believe that she has not addressed that question.SPEAKER: Well my view is that the member did address the question. If the member is not satisfied with the answer he can ask further supplementaries.Jonathan Young: I'll go on. What is she doing to ensure electricity costs will stay down when many commentators are saying that her 100 percent renewable goal will in fact drive them up?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The price of retail electricity is of vital concern to this Government and in fact was part of our confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First—informing that the Government was to have a review into retail electricity prices. I'm pleased to report to that member that we have begun that review. The panel is in place the terms of reference have been out and phase one is well under way. We are determined to look at what the drivers are that are leading New Zealand to have some of the sharpest rises in retail electricity prices in the OECD over the last decade but not only that; to look at what the coming pressures of future technologies will be.Jonathan Young: When she described ending new offshore permits as a planned measured and careful transition … towards renewable energy" did she actually tell anyone in the petroleum industry her plan to ban new offshore permits prior to 12 April?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: This is a question that has been asked in this House and responded to in this House previously. What we have been very clear on is that both the Prime Minister and myself made very clear comments around the future of offshore drilling prior to 12 April. Indeed two weeks before making that announcement I went to the Petroleum Conference and gave a speech reassuring the sector that the changes coming would not affect their existing permits.Jonathan Young: Did she actually tell anyone in the petroleum industry prior to 12 April that she was planning to ban new offshore permits?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As I just answered in the previous question there were very strong signals. But we made an announcement; that was the point at which we told people in the petroleum sector. As that member knows members of the sector received phone calls from myself several colleagues and officials the night before the announcement was made.Hon Shane Jones: Can the Minister confirm that production in terms of gas in Taranaki has been in decline for over eight years with absolutely no substantial or even small new discoveries?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Yes I can. It has gone from a $300 million industry to a $10 million industry over the last few years. I also note that there was no summer drilling activity for the last two previous summers. But the local member will probably be very pleased to hear that even after the Government's announcement over the next 18 to 36 months there are over 20 wells planned to be drilled in the summer programme."