Auchinvole Chris: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Auchinvole Chris: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:924] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National—West Coast-Tasman) 
: 
 I would like to correct a comment that I made last time I spoke. I said that the retail price rise was 48 percent but after listening to the Minister I realise that I was wrong. The retail price rise was not 48 percent it was 63 percent from 1 November 2001 to 1 November 2008. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Well the member should resign. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: The member should not say that remark too loudly. There have been 4 years in which we have had a one-in-60-year near crisis in supply. Huntly is the biggest generator of emissions. If the bill we are now proposing were not passed we would not have any prospect of changing to something like the e3p plant which would dramatically reduce the generation of greenhouse gases. Again this is an act of honesty on the part of the Government. We are removing a piece of inert legislation. 
I listened with interest to Mr Mallard who talked about exercising international leadership. He also introduced a new phrase that I did not hear in the electricity debate when we were sitting on the other side of the House. Whenever we charged the previous Government with having insufficient supply and insufficient capacity we were told that everything was all right. Mr Parker kept saying that there was adequate generation capacity and that National’s criticism was ill-founded. But from listening to Mr Mallard now I understand that it was a capital strike. That was the reason for generation not being developed over the period of Labour’s 9 years. 
It seems to me that we are now having a little bit of a history rewrite; it was a capital strike. I do not think that will wash. But again there are a range of views on the effect of power generation systems. Mr Mallard referred in his speech to the United Kingdom. I understand that it is having a burst of enthusiasm for hydro electricity generation over there at the moment. I was told on what I think is fairly good authority—although I do not know the veracity of it—that the Brits are planning hydro schemes on 1000 Scottish rivers. [ 
Interruption 
] Aye and it is not just the fishing. I have to tell the House that by passing this bill this Government will meet with the approval of a group of environmental enthusiasts on the West Coast whose preference will be for thermal rather than hydro. Before the election I was approached by this particular group and asked whether we would make a commitment to bringing back thermal generation and I can assure the House that they are very enthusiastic environmentalists. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: But a lot of them are out of work on the West Coast. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: No no these are a very dedicated group of people and I frequently discuss things with them. They are dedicated to river use. They are kayakers and rafters and they see nothing wrong with developing clean-coal technology for power production. They will be particularly happy to see this bill go through. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What does this mean for the West Coast? 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: We will measure that in a future speech. We still have another reading to do and I will certainly include that in my next speech. There is a wide range of views beyond the myopic view of Labour. In spite of Mr Parker wringing his hands over the demands of the increasing population the reality is that the increasing population demands energy supply. To put a block on it with legislation is like saying that we can stop the tide from ebbing and flowing and we cannot.