Gerry Brownlee MP
National Party Energy Spokesman

14 December 2006

Real action lacking in draft action plan

“New Zealand has an energy crisis obstructing growth and an improvement in living standards, but today’s Draft Action Plan on Energy Efficiency fails to recognise the seriousness of the situation,” says National Party Energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee.

“This glossy report, the second draft plan released by the Government this week, is packed with phrases like; develop proposals; assess trends; watch developments and words like investigate, but the action in this action plan is very much missing in action.”

Mr Brownlee says a serious drive for energy efficiency is a “no brainer”.

“Energy efficiency is the quickest way to increase the supply of available energy. This report is disappointingly short of anything that could be considered a reasonable response to our deepening energy crisis.”

Mr Brownlee says under Labour, climate change policy and the energy sector have lurched from one crisis to the next.

“This is a Government that is burning more oil, gas and coal to generate power than ever before.

“Not even draft action plans, discussion documents and proposed strategies can hide the fact that Labour’s climate change and energy policies are in total disarray.”

ENDS

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