15 March 2013

Kiwi kids left shivering because of prepaid metering

Kiwi parents shouldn’t be forced to choose between feeding their children and keeping them warm, the Green Party said today.

Research published in the New Zealand Medical Journal today shows that prepaid meter customers pay 3-38% more for their electricity and that over half of families forced to rely on prepaid metering for their electricity had gone without power. Additionally, 56% of families have cut back on groceries to pay for power.

“Do we want a New Zealand where vulnerable families who can least afford it face elevated electricity prices and children are left shivering in the cold?” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today.

“Instead of selling the power companies so that their profits flow offshore the Government should be ensuring that ordinary families have affordable power so they can keep their children warm.

“The report indicates that there are about 28,000 families who are exposed to higher prices and the risk of disconnection.

“The Government needs to look at the recommendation to introduce protections for consumers using prepaid metering against the impact of fuel poverty.

“This study confirms the need for the Green Party Warm Healthy Rentals Bill which would put minimum standards on rental accommodation,” said Mr Hughes.

Additional Information
NZMJ study by Kimberley C O’Sullivan, Philippa L Howden-Chapman, James Stanley, Simon Hales is available from: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/126-1371/5574/content.pdf

© Scoop Media

Arguably Reassuring: Inspector-General Finds GCSB "Arguably" Legal

Of the 88 individuals:

• 15 cases involving 22 individuals did not have any information intercepted by GCSB.

• another four cases involving five individuals were the subjects of a New Zealand Security Intelligence Service warrant and the GCSB assisted in the execution of the warrants. The Inspector-General is of the view that there were arguably no breaches and the law is unclear.

• the Bureau only provided technical assistance which did not involve interception of communications, involving three of the individuals, so no breach occurred.

• the remaining cases involved the collection of metadata, and the Inspector-General formed the view that there had arguably been no breach, noting once again that the law is unclear.
More>>