Dean Jacqui: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dean Jacqui: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 29 June 2010. Volume:664;Page:12230. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 I am very pleased to be the first speaker in this debate addressing the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority because it is a good-news story. In fact it is such a good-news story that doing research for this particular Crown entity was nothing short of a pleasure. 
I will run through some of the achievements of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority over the period under review. First of all we might as well start with the really good news which is the home insulation scheme. It has been not only a great success but a resounding success and a milestone with a number of New Zealand homes—I do not know the figure; perhaps the Minister of Energy and Resources may help me on it—given up to $1800 to assist them with the cost of insulating their home. That is good news for those homeowners. It is hugely good news for all of us in New Zealand— 
Hon Member 
: And children. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: My colleague so rightly points out that it is not just about the health of adults in the home but it is about the health of children in the home. That just shows that the Minister in the chair the Hon Gerry Brownlee cares about the health of New Zealanders. I think it is an excellent home insulation scheme. It is wildly successful and has been implemented by the National Government. 
The home insulation scheme Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart funds up to 33 percent of the cost of installing insulation. That is significant for people and it has been warmly welcomed. It will apply to ceiling and underfloor insulation and it makes such a difference to the lives of the many thousands upon thousands of people who have been fortunate to come under this scheme. 
Another piece of good news for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is the Energy Spot TV ads. It has been a wildly successful initiative. Once a week a friendly face comes on to the screen and gives us all—I have listened to it with great interest—some good sensible advice on how to save energy. It is not just talking about it which the previous Labour Government was fond of doing; it is getting out there and providing some good sensible advice about how to save energy in our homes. It is about lagging the hot-water cylinder insulating pipes and stopping draughts. There is good sensible advice for all of us about saving energy costs on the road by running our vehicles efficiently. I watched the adverts and I know how to do it. I know how because of the Energy Spot initiative by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority which is at the hands of the excellent Minister Gerry Brownlee. 
As well as that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority provides advice on appliances with energy ratings labels—the more stars the more energy efficient—and that is something that I take note of. Consumers are increasingly taking note of that type of advice when buying their new appliances. 
I have saved some of the good news for later in my speech. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority won the award for the best Government agency in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Award 2010. That is a wonderful achievement for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. I take the liberty of quoting the Hon Gerry Brownlee when he accepted the award for the best Government agency. He said: “This government is committed to making the best of its energy resources. Helping New Zealand businesses use less energy and increase their use of renewable energy helps to strengthen our economy”. I suggest to the Committee that those are wise words from the Minister. That is not just talking the talk; that is doing the business. There is so much potential to save energy and successful businesses are the ones that focus on improving productivity and reducing waste. Efficient use of energy is a key part of that process. It is a key and critical part of this Government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority policy. 
I go back to the home insulation scheme because I think it is a cornerstone and a critical part of the work that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority does. The Warm Up New Zealand initiative has been so widely welcomed. My part of the country the South Island is the coldest part of the country. The benefit that has been derived for homes that have applied for and been given grants by providers under this Warm Up New Zealand scheme has been immeasurable. I again acknowledge the work of the Minister in this scheme. 
Report noted.