The Smart Energy Alliance is calling on Government to
‘put down the pen’ on LNG. The Alliance says time has
run out and any attempt to sign a binding LNG contract
during the election campaign would be a questionable way to
commit New Zealand to a major piece of energy
infrastructure.
“The General Election is now less
than two months away. There is no immediate dry-year
emergency requiring New Zealand to enter into a long-term
LNG commitment before voters go to the polls,” Smart
Energy Alliance spokesperson, Gareth Williams says.
Mr
Williams says that the Government itself reported last week
that significant April rainfall meant New Zealand came
through this winter with high inflows and above-average
hydro storage.
“So, what exactly is the emergency
that requires a contract to be signed in the final weeks
before an election? It gets more strange. The LNG facility
requires enabling legislation covering the consents,
approvals and mechanisms necessary for the facility,
including authority to recover its costs.
That legislation isn’t in
place.
“The Government originally
contemplated passing the legislation before the election.
That hasn’t happened, yet it is apparently prepared to
sign the contract anyway.
Mr Williams says signing a
contract without enabling legislation is the wrong way
around.
“Throughout the
Government’s LNG process, the decision-making has been
shrouded in secrecy. The analysis used to justify such a
significant investment — including the assessment of its
costs, alternatives and associated risks — has been
withheld from the New Zealand public. We need more
transparency on why the LNG terminal should go ahead and who
it will benefit before a decision is made.”
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“LNG
does not have broad political endorsement. There is no
immediate dry-year crisis. The necessary legislative
framework isn’t in place. And New Zealanders are weeks
away from deciding who governs them. There is no credible
reason to force this decision through now. If LNG stacks up,
it will still stack up after election day,” says Mr
Williams.
The Smart Energy Alliance is calling on
Government put down the pen to let New Zealanders vote
first.
