11. Energy Market—Electricity PricingJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesEnergy Market—Electricity PricingJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth): My question is to the Minister of—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Simon Bridges: I withdraw and apologise.11. JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): Yes.Jonathan Young: After saying New Zealanders deserve affordable electricity will she guarantee that electricity price rises will be lower in the next three years than they have been in the last three years?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: This Government was proud yesterday to release the first phase of a report in a two-part process. This outlined the issues that we have to deal with and that identified in the report that we have a two-tier electricity market developing in this country. I note that the member who asked the question doesn't think there's anything wrong but on this side of the House when we think there are 103000 households who are defined as being in energy hardship we do see there is a problem. That is why phase two of the process will be examining those remedies.SPEAKER: Question No. 12—[Interruption] No the Opposition's supplementaries have been used—Jonathan Young: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I don't think that the question was addressed and answered.SPEAKER: Ask it again.Jonathan Young: Will she guarantee that electricity price rises will be lower in the next three years than they have been in the last three years?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As I have previously answered the member what was released yesterday was phase one of a two-part review that we are doing on electricity prices. That member does not think it is a problem that 103000 households are defined as being in energy hardship. This is a Government that does see that as a problem. We are embarking on phase two. We will be looking for remedies. What I can guarantee that member is we will not bury our heads in the sand and think that there isn't a problem.SPEAKER: That was a very good answer for a different question. The member will have another crack.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Phase two of the report will be looking at remedies. What I can guarantee that member is that this is a Government that is committed to seeing those 103000 households who are in energy hardship offered some release. We will be looking for remedies and in terms of guarantees I invite that member to submit his ideas into phase two of the review.Jonathan Young: Thank you. Does she agree with the Electricity Price Review chair's comments yesterday that the sharing of costs may need to be reallocated and if so how should they be reallocated?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I again point the member to the fact that this is phase one of a two-part review. I absolutely agree with the chair of the Electricity Price Review Miriam Dean who has done a wonderful job and produced a very accessible document that these are questions that we need to think about. What we have seen since the 1990s is a 79 percent increase in electricity prices for households. That has not been matched by business or industry and that is a conversation that we need to have from here.