Mahuta Nanaia: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Mahuta Nanaia: Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:11788] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
: 
 I support Chris Hipkins for introducing the Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill as a measure to foster and encourage renewable energy sources. It is no coincidence that it is introduced on the same day that President Barack Obama made his live televised address calling on Americans to accept that the world is running out of places to drill for oil. Americans are facing a huge environmental battle trying to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although we in Aotearoa New Zealand do not face the same kind of disaster as the United States does we do have the same challenge: to move aggressively towards renewable sources of energy generation to reduce our carbon emissions and to provide greater cost benefits to consumers in time. Simply put it is the right thing to do but we have to take action rather than thinking that in time it will be an inevitable outcome. This bill clearly moves in that direction and I hope that Parliament will see the benefit of sending the bill to a select committee to hear the views of New Zealanders which is an important part of this whole process. I am really disappointed that National has stopped the bill at the starting post without really seeing what the will of other New Zealanders is on this particular matter. I am sure it is very important to them all. 
I listened carefully to the contribution of the Hon Nathan Guy and found it remarkable that nearly in the same breath as stating that his Government was committed to 90 percent renewable electricity generation by 2025 he said that his Government will not support this bill and will vote it down. It is a shame. A softly softly approach offers no leadership on the matter and it confirms that the Government lacks the vision and ambition to demonstrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to preserving our unique environment while promoting better more efficient and in time more affordable energy solutions from renewable resources. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga struggled to convince members on this side of the House that he had a coherent argument to justify National’s opposition to the bill. He struggled with the whole argument and he was not convincing at all. 
National needs to recognise that climate change does not have a silver bullet to address the compounding affects of carbon on our environment. Each step towards reducing carbon emissions—preferring renewable energy sources and investing in innovative clean technology—adds up to solid steps forward. But National refuses to take that step. This bill is just one part of that picture and National should support it to select committee at the very minimum. 
It is important to stress that no attempt has been made by the current Minister of Energy and Resources to review the Energy Strategy at the same time as he and members of his Government continue to promote the target of 90 percent renewable electricity generation by 2025. But there are a lot of questions that have emerged from that lack of action. How will it be achieved? I ask the Minister to please explain that. What steps is he taking to ensure that the target of 90 percent renewable electricity will be reached by 2025? For as long as Charles Chauvel has held this particular spokesperson role no answer has been forthcoming whatsoever. 
I listened carefully to the contribution of Te Ururoa Flavell and the fact that the Maori Party will support this bill. We are pleased to receive that support. We only regret that he could not convince his National mates to support it as well because we know that the opportunity to have that discussion and receive feedback would be a positive one. I note also that he cited a number of opportunities where Maori have actively been involved in renewable generation like Tuaropaki Trust and in my own area Taharoa C Block which wants to see wind-farm generation along the West Coast. In fact Maori are identifying that they want to actively partner in that type of opportunity because it is good for the environment it can be good for business and it can be good in terms of returning benefit back to tribal members. They are no dum-dums these days. They can see that the opportunities in this area are extensive. They can see that it is win-win from an economic an environmental and in some respects a cultural viewpoint and they want to be a part of it. But when we look at the opportunity that this bill provides to move forward we do not see any support from the Government on the matter. 
This bill is a good step forward. Once again I commend Chris Hipkins his endless stock of energy and his desire to see a greater emphasis on renewable energy sources. No reira ki a koutou katoa tena koutou.