Shane Jones
Transport Spokesperson

14 October 2011

Joyce at sea on Oil Pollution Fund

Transport Minister Steven Joyce is off-beam when he claims New Zealand is well-prepared to deal with events like marine oil spills because of the Oil Pollution Fund, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Shane Jones.

“In 2010/11 the fund spent $4.5 million, more than $1 million than it earned through levies on industry,” Shane Jones said.

“Maritime New Zealand relies on this fund to administer its maritime oil pollution response, and clearly if it is spending more than it earns even in the good years, it is hardly well-prepared, as Mr Joyce claims, to handle the response to a disastrous event like we’re witnessing with the Rena.

“Mr Joyce was hardly reassuring this morning when he prattled on about everyone in the sector --- whether they are big ships, small ships or fishing vessels --- thinking that they pay too much,” Shane Jones said.

“That was just so much waffle. It’s all very well for Mr Joyce to say contributions are ‘out of whack’, but it would have been far more comforting if the Minister had been able to tell us what he’s doing to get contributions ‘back in whack’.

“He’s been Minister for three years now, and when the best he can do is talk about whacks and sensitivities in the sector, it hardly indicates he’s on top of his portfolio,” Shane Jones said.

“Mr Joyce is a key member of a cabinet that backs deep-sea oil exploration. Labour won’t go down that path until it is convinced absolutely reliable safeguards are in place.

“The sort of imprecise language that Steven Joyce uses gives no comfort whatsoever that he would know what an absolutely reliable safeguard was if he tripped over one.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media