Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16552. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National)to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What has the Government done to improve the performance of the electricity market in New Zealand?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources):When this Government took office in 2008 it was clear that significant changes needed to be made. Power prices were rising at record levels there had been four dry-year emergencies where consumers had been asked to switch off their lights and conserve power there had been serious under-investment in transmission and we got too much of our power from non-renewables. This Government’s reforms of 2010 have halved power price increases and promoted the ability of consumers to shop around for the best deal. Security of supply is simply no longer an issue despite the fact that the first 6 months of 2012 were the driest on record. There has been much-needed investment in infrastructure with Transpower spending set to total $5 billion. Renewables have gone from 65 percent to 75 percent. The Government backs its record on electricity against the left’s any day of the week.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: How have consumers benefited from these changes?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The market reforms have seen an expansion in the number of retailers with a wide range of innovative offerings available to consumers. Substantial savings are available from special deals for consumers who shop around. Discounts of up to $300 are available effectively reducing a power bill by up to 14 percent for the average consumer. Consumers in their hundreds of thousands are increasingly taking the opportunity to switch providers. The What’s My Number campaign goes from strength to strength with record numbers switching last year. This is all evidence of exactly how a competitive market can and should work.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What reports has he seen on an alternative approach to the electricity market?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Oh I have seen many many reports commenting on a vastly different approach to organising the electricity market. Former Labour Minister of Energy David Butcher said that it “would largely destroy the renewables industry”. An independent report by Sapere Research Group concluded “There is a very real risk that the proposals would result in higher electricity prices”—[Interruption] Mr Speaker I would like to be heard. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister is appealing for some chance to finish his answer. The Hon Simon Bridges—if he could with haste complete his answer.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well I appreciate that these answers are embarrassing for the Opposition—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just get on with it.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Gareth Morgan called it “classic politicking; a solution in search of a problem.” Professor Frank Wolak once loved by the Opposition said it was “largely just window dressing.” They were all commenting on the half-baked NZ Power policy that the Labour—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Gareth Hughes: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You know that in the Standing Orders answers are meant to be succinct. We have had three speeches from the Minister. This is question time not speech time.Mr SPEAKER: The member makes a reasonable point and that is why I stood on my feet and concluded the answer.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is the member seeking a point—Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I am happy to give a more succinct answer to that question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That would not be helpful at all to the House.Brendan Horan: What has the Minister done to lower power prices in his electorate of Tauranga which currently pays 15 percent above the national average?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Simon Bridges in so far as he has ministerial responsibility.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I refer the member to all of my succinct answers previously but I have already made clear that we have a system in New Zealand where power prices have gone from a 72 percent increase when Labour left office to half of that where security of supply is no longer an issue despite four near-blackouts when Labour was in Government where from under-investment we have gone to $5 billion of investment in transmission—Brendan Horan: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The answer now has got nothing to do with the specificity of the question.Brendan Horan: That was what I was going to ask.Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Those matters all go to power prices in Tauranga.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister ought to go back to his office study the Standing Orders and in future give more concise answers to the questions he is asked.