Peters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 17 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4476. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does he stand by all the Prime Minister’s statements regarding the electricity market; if so why?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources): Yes; because the Prime Minister has very good expertise on these matters.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Will the Minister state with precision and clarity that he is familiar with every statement that the Prime Minister has made recently about electricity pricing—yes or no?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I am not always privileged to be in the same room with the Prime Minister so I have not heard all the comments.Rt Hon Winston Peters: So is he saying he is prepared to stand up for the Prime Minister as to what the Prime Minister said even though he is not familiar with what he said on the question of electricity pricing in each and every case—yes or no?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Unlike New Zealand First National is a values-based party and I and the Prime Minister share the same values.Rt Hon Winston Peters: In what way will increasing the annual per customer charge for Westpower from $1.79 to $6.76 Top Energy from $1.55 to $4.21 and Northpower from $300 to $560 benefit the economic direction of the regions?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The member is jumping to conclusions. It is far too early in the process to assume that changes to transmission pricing methodology will significantly alter electricity prices in some regions. As I say for example one of the options is to be prospective in effect only and in that case there would be very minimal impact on the cost of electricity across the regions. I think just to go one step further this is about the Electricity Authority living up to its mandate of ensuring efficient investment decisions and that is why it has issued this options paper.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that customers of Auckland’s Vector will see their annual customer charge increase on average from $327 to $519 how on earth will that help our poorest our elderly or hard-working parents trying to make ends meet?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The member is quite wrong because he says that will happen. As I have said this is an options paper where it is not at all clear that that will be the result. I have been very clear with the Electricity Authority that it needs to consult well and listen and we know as I said in one of my earlier answers that there are many options that would not have anything like the effects that the member is talking of.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does he believe that building corporate welfare particularly for large industrial foreign-owned energy consumers like Rio Tinto and BlueScope Steel which are getting 56 percent reductions or more among others is a hallmark of this Government and why does he think that the people from Westport to Kaitāia should be subsidising this?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I repeat that the member is jumping to conclusions. This is not in any way shape or form about benefiting any particular businesses. What it is about is fairly and efficiently ensuring that power investment in infrastructure is spread appropriately and as I say efficiently across the regions. That said let us be very clear: it is an options paper. It will be taken carefully and judiciously and the member is very much welcome to make a submission.