Young Jonathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYoung Jonathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16676. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth)to the Minister of Energy and Resources: How has the electricity market improved under this Government?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources):Since the Government’s reforms of 2010 consumers have seen a fundamental change in offerings and discounts available to them from retailers. Advertised prices tell only part of the overall price story. Although a rarity in 2008 prompt payment and online discounts are now commonplace as is aggressive behaviour by retailers to win and retain customers. Consumer switching is at record levels and for good reason. For example consumers can save around $300 a year by switching from the dearest to the cheapest provider in Auckland.Jonathan Young: What progress has been made on security of supply?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Much-needed investment has been made to our national grid—investment that keeps the lights on. Transpower is reaching the end of a multibillion-dollar investment in projects like the $672 million upgrade of the high-voltage Cook Strait cable. This investment is already making a difference. In 2008 there were nearly 25 unplanned system minutes lost. Each system minute lost equates to turning off a city the size of Hamilton for about 40 minutes. In the last year there have been just 7 system minutes lost the lowest since the mid-2000s.Jonathan Young: What progress has been made on renewable electricity generation?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Renewable electricity generation goes from strength to strength under this Government. We have seen renewable generation rise from 65 percent in 2008 to 75 percent today which makes us the fourth in the OECD with no need for Government subsidies or intervention. All generation currently being built is renewable as is the majority of consented generation. In fact we have 30 years of consented renewable generation waiting to be built.Gareth Hughes: I seek leave to table research provided to me by the Parliamentary Library that shows that this is a smaller proportion than we had in 1980 or 1990.Mr SPEAKER: Order! No the member is simply using this as a debating point.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Whatever the member from the Green Party did he is nevertheless entitled to seek leave to table a document.Mr SPEAKER: Order! He sought leave; I was not prepared to even put the leave because it was simply a means of introducing competing debate. If he wants to take a supplementary question to have the debate that is OK. I am not prepared to put the leave. Point of order—[Interruption] I can only hear from one of you.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am on my feet.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from the Rt Hon Winston Peters.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Thank you very much Mr Speaker. The fact is that I always understood that when a member sought leave if he did it within the Standing Orders then it had to be put.Metiria Turei: As far as I understand there are no rules in the Standing Orders that say that a member cannot stand up and seek leave to table a document where it contains content relevant to the debate at hand. That is what my colleague Gareth Hughes was doing and therefore leave should be put.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Although that might have been a common practice there were a number of changes made by the previous Speaker to the way in which things can be tabled—I think largely driven by some very frivolous points of order and attempts to table material between the period of 2005 to 2008 an action that I was very very familiar with.Iain Lees-Galloway: By who?Hon Member: No names?Hon Gerry Brownlee: No no names are required. I think perhaps Mr Peters has not been made aware of that and perhaps Metiria Turei has not quite understood the change.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need no further assistance. I made a substantial ruling on 19 February last year which again was questioned on one occasion by the Rt Hon Winston Peters and I gave him a second copy of that ruling. If he needs a third copy I am happy to give it to him today. I will not see the use of tabling of documents simply for making political points. I make a decision as to whether I will allow leave to be put to the House and the House then makes the ultimate decision if I decide the document is worthy and informative to members. The matter has been well and truly traversed over the last year and that is my final decision on this.Gareth Hughes: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not seek to draw this out or challenge your ruling but I would refer you to Standing Order 1 which has been commonly defined throughout this Parliament’s history as this House being the master of its destiny. This House can seek leave and make a decision.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is now challenging my ruling. I refer the member to Speakers’ ruling 149/1.David Shearer: On what date did he write to electricity companies about the record number of power disconnections that occurred last year as reported by Radio New Zealand?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I cannot recall the specific date. I think you will find it was either the end of September or early October. Certainly it was in the fourth quarter of last year.