Young Jonathan; Williams PotoJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth): It gives me little pleasure to speak on this bill because this bill is actually a retrograde step for the climate goals of this country. Not only will they ban offshore but they'll ban outside of Taranaki and do you know what they're banning? They're banning innovation. They're banning ideas that come through the hydrocarbon industry. We hear that there is $1.2 billion of investment lost that would reduce emissions in Taranaki. We hear that overseas there are developments of natural gas power peaker plants which Transpower say we need five to six more of in order to keep the lights on in New Zealand. This peaker power station has zero emissions and suddenly this Government knows better. They say We've made a plan for 30 years."At least James Shaw talked to Todd Muller. I would say the Minister has never ever picked up the phone to talk to me about whether we can be part of a 30-year transition. I'll tell you why: because they will be there for three years. They will be there for three years. They may take the first step but not the second or the third. You know what's happened through this whole process is that the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) have come up with actually some brilliant ideas. They've found a spot that could work in this Parliament in this Government and in this country but this Government over here has completely rejected it because they are hard-wiring in a ban. And when I say "a ban" it is not just a ban on activity; it's a ban on an idea and on innovation. They have thought that they have attacked a problem but they are attacking people who understand hydrocarbon. They're attacking the people who have innovation ideas some of the best hydrocarbon chemists in the country and they're basically saying "Your industry has an end date." And guess what's happening? We are seeing people leave the country who have got the intellectual know-how and background to understand this industry. We are exporting our knowledge and we're going to become recipients in time to importation of gas—four to five times the cost and 40 percent higher greenhouse gases. That's what's going to happen. That's what's going to happen.Let me tell you something about this bill. This bill has come before this House under the intent to give effect to the Government's policy announcement on 12 April to ban new offshore exploration but what they are bringing into this bill are two unexpected provisions. They are saying the bill includes a provision that will prohibit a permit holder from accessing conservation land except to undertake minimum-impact activities which is not drilling and which is not seismic. So you know oil and gas explorers—you're off that part of the land.Also they're bringing in a provision that will ban the giving of onshore permits outside of Taranaki. You told us Minister—you gave us Minister—Hon Stuart Nash: The Speaker didn't tell you.JONATHAN YOUNG: —I understand—a three-year moratorium on onshore permits and a review. James Shaw of course came back and said that actually that three-year moratorium is actually a phase-out of onshore. And suddenly we find in this bill that every other part of New Zealand's terrestrial territory is now off the board. So that's a Northland. That's an East Coast. They're gone. We see in Taranaki the region that has the highest per capita GDP of any region in New Zealand. The Taranaki region has the highest average wage of any region. The oil and gas sector generates 4600 jobs in Taranaki and supports 11000 indirectly. And so this Government is saying to Northland to East Coast "Sorry we are not going to allow those benefits ever to come your way." Some of those regions are the regions with the highest levels of deprivation where they could see huge industries developed huge skills huge opportunities for people to come to be employed. I think that that is a real disappointment and a travesty.There are many significant failings of this Government and none so significant as in this decision to ban new offshore exploration permits. There's been a thorough—thorough—lack of process. What is most galling is the Government claims to have consulted industry except everyone they said they'd talked to denies they'd ever had a conversation. And we are seeing this happening right now. We are seeing this very short truncated select committee process taking place. You know I would come back to what the Minister said as a general final statement to the petroleum conference in March in Wellington this year. She said this and we took her words in good faith: "We are a Government that listens then acts. That consults widely thinks through issues deeply and seeks to forge consensus on how we can take New Zealand forward together."—a great statement. That is a statement that I think any Government would be proud and pleased to make. However in the regulatory impact analysis released by MBIE this week it stated this: "Consultation with the public and the petroleum sector has not [taken place] due to the preferred approach of Cabinet and the Government". I am very disappointed at that. I'm disappointed because the good people not only of Taranaki but right around this country have got a contribution to make and yes you give a four-week process but you know I think it would have been far better if you had talked all along the way than been very selective—been very selective—in your process. It's not only the petroleum sector who are wanting to be consulted. The regulatory analysis went on to say "major consumers of natural gas such as Methanex and Ballance Agri-Nutrients electricity generators the Port of Taranaki engineering and service firms in Taranaki" and the local government in Taranaki are "stakeholders directly affected by the proposed changes." MBIE has not been directed to undertake consultation with these groups on the Government's final policy decision. "All … these groups have expressed concerns about the decision itself the impact on investment certainty future gas supply and jobs and the ability of firms that have invested to be able to fully benefit from those investments." And so this is a systemic disregard of people in the region that I love and am proud of and I am disappointed—very disappointed. I hear the Minister talking about a plan—a 21st century plan. Well the Mayor of New Plymouth said yesterday the Government has no plan—no plan—to see what's going to happen in Taranaki in a post - oil and gas world.The interesting thing is that in that oil and gas world we are seeing far more innovation and ideas come through that reduce emissions. The other side of it is that only about 50 percent of oil ever ends up as a liquid fuel that gives emissions. The rest ends up for example in asphalt in the roads that we drive on. It ends up in all sorts of products—household products. Methanex who use 45 percent of New Zealand's natural gas and make methanol is becoming a liquid fuel of choice in the marine industry because of its zero sulphur emissions and low oxides. It's a very very clean fuel. There are huge advantages. You know we see that the United States of America the country that has brought emissions lower percentage wise than any other country in the world has done it without regulation. They've done it because they've used natural gas to replace coal. And I think that you know there are examples around the world that show innovation and progress that will see the emissions that people are concerned about reduce in our world.Can I say in my last couple of minutes that there are some great opportunities to actually see an industry that has brought great benefit and wealth and progress to nations around the world to handle this in a more finessed and careful way. The Minister says that this is a bygone era yet the International Energy Agency which New Zealand pays $150000 a year to for membership tells us that natural gas is going to increase by 40 percent by 2050 and is going to become the fuel of choice. And so what we have said or what this Government says in this country is that we see an end to gas.We have some big big concerns about energy security. MBIE raised those matters—big concerns about whether we can have the capacity to keep electricity cheap and keep it secure. At the moment gas provides 15 percent and Transpower tell us that our electricity generation needs to more than double by 2050. You know we need to have solutions to these sorts of things. It's not good enough—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): I apologise to the member; your time has expired."