Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:623;Page:18592] 
12.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Energy 
: Is he confident that New Zealand’s energy requirements are being met? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Energy) 
: 
 Generally yes. 
Peter Brown 
: Is it acceptable to the Minister—noting particularly that answer—that with our lakes 100 percent full the wholesale price of electricity is something between four and five times what it was this time last year; if that is acceptable would he tell us that; if it is not what will he do about it? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The substantive question was about energy requirements not price and I answered it directly. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My colleague asked the Minister whether he thought the energy requirements were being met and his answer was “Generally yes.” Then my colleague asked a totally different question about the issue of price and the huge escalation in price since this time last year. We never got an answer at all. The Minister just got up and said he had answered the question then sat down again. Frankly on an issue as important to New Zealanders as power pricing he should be required to answer the darned thing. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the Minister could address the particular question. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I did not come to the House prepared to answer questions on price because the primary question did not relate to price. I do not have the information to confirm the member’s suggestions. 
Larry Baldock 
: Can the Minister confirm that coal-fired power generation will form an important and necessary part of the industry being able to meet New Zealand’s energy needs over the foreseeable future? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Notwithstanding the coal research facility in my own electorate I am not prepared at this stage to back particular winners for our future energy requirements. 
Peter Brown 
: Does the Minister accept that one of the requirements of the electricity industry is to deliver electricity to every New Zealander; if he does accept that is he concerned that the price of power in New Zealand continues to grow at a much faster rate than inflation and that it has a much greater impact on those who are on a fixed income particularly those who live totally on superannuation; if he is concerned what will he do about it; if the answer is nothing will he be honest enough to tell us? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is four questions. The Minister can address two of them. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have noted as I have become better briefed in this area the very good work done by my colleague the previous Minister of Energy in making sure that pensioners and others—people who use lower amounts of power—are able to get power at reasonable prices. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Why when domestic electricity prices have doubled since 1990 have we seen so little improvement in household energy efficiency and what is this Government’s target date to see all homes adequately insulated damp-proofed and fitted with energy-saving lights water heaters and showers to keep bills down? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The Government does not have a date for that. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Minister satisfied that when the Electricity Commission assesses the new 400 kilovolt ampere transmission lines against alternatives as it is bound to do by statute it will have a properly quantified and costed package of alternatives to assess including the relative contributions of distributed generation improved energy efficiency wood-fired cogeneration peak-load shifting and direct use of gas? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Again I am relatively new in the portfolio. However the one thing I know in this area is that the commission will be reviewed to death if it does not do its job properly.