Ardern Jacinda: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Ardern Jacinda: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:942] 
JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) 
: 
 I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill. Another hour passes and another Act is repealed by the National Government another round of select committee hearings is bypassed and another regulatory impact statement fails to be produced to this House. 
I find that part quite amazing I have to say given the rhetoric from that side of the Chamber about the importance of regulatory impact statements. 
Hon Member 
: They have a Minister. 
JACINDA ARDERN 
: Absolutely! Those members think the issue is so important that they have a Minister for Regulatory Reform yet the House has not seen one adequate regulatory impact statement. 
We are speaking on Part 1 which repeals Part 6A of the Electricity Act 1992. Given the brevity of the bill before us for the edification of members I would like to read from section 62A which gives the purpose of Part 6A: “The purpose of this Part is to reduce the impact of fossil-fuelled thermal electricity generation on climate change by creating a preference for renewable electricity generation through the implementation of a 10-year restriction”—I highlight that part for the edification of members—“on new baseload fossil-fuelled thermal electricity generation capacity except when an exemption is appropriate (for example to ensure security of supply).” That last part is particularly interesting and I would like to dwell on it if I may. 
Moana Mackey 
: You may. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Yes. 
JACINDA ARDERN 
: I will; thank you colleagues. We have heard that one of the reasons for the existence of this bill is to give that all-important security of supply. No one is doubting the importance of security of supply. That is why Labour legislated for it; that is why we pointed out its importance in the purpose section of Part 6A of the Act. Now we see it being used as an excuse for Part 6A in its entirety to be repealed. I see that the Minister in the chair Gerry Brownlee has a picture book in front of him at the moment so perhaps he is not concentrating fully on the happenings of the Committee. I have a question for him: what is the point? If this bill is all about security of supply and Labour has already set out provisions for that what is the point? In fact the Minister has heard speakers on this side of the Chamber point out that plenty of new generation is coming on stream over the next 4 years. In fact we need much less generation than we have coming on stream. We are prepared so what is the point? 
All I see on that side of the Chamber is a complete lack of aspiration. I know that National members would like to patent that word. It is their favourite. It is the word of the hour: “We are going to turbocharge aspiration.” In fact as far as I can see turbocharging aspiration is code for ramming legislation through the House. Their turbocharged aspiration has brought us the repeal of Labour’s biofuels legislation and now the repeal of Part 6A of the Act. What does this tell us? If we might actually have to build a new industry we might actually have to bring forward entrepreneurial Kiwis to create jobs and we might actually have to be a bit creative in the work we do the National Government believes that it is too hard and we should get rid of it. That is what aspiration means to the National Government and that is all that we have seen. 
There is a lack of aspiration for our environment and that is the critical part for me. I am standing here proudly as a child of the 1980s but with some shame at what members from the 1970s 1960s 1950s and beyond have brought forward for us. What does this bill say to the next generation of Kiwis? 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Oh! 
JACINDA ARDERN 
: Where is the can-do attitude I ask Dr Smith. Where is the can-do attitude? I can tell members that the Labour Government had aspiration for this country. We saw what was possible we combined it with our absolute dedication and commitment to improving the environment of New Zealand and we put forward legislation which the National Government is now busily repealing. I would also add—to look forward a little—that I know that the National Government is also very keen to get to work on the Resource Management Act.