Jacinda Ardern says 'everything' is on the table in decision on oil exploration

Tuesday, 20 March 2018

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern clarifies earlier comments about the Government 'actively considering' a call to end oil exploration.

The Labour-led Government is considering 'everything' about the future of the oil and gas exploration in New Zealand, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denying any inconsistency in her statements.

On Monday, Ardern told a Greenpeace rally on the steps of Parliament that her Government was 'actively considering' a call to end oil exploration, a message she said she delayed an event marking the visit of the Indonesian President to deliver.

But later on Monday Ardern said the consideration being given to the issue was one which Government's considered annually: how the annual block offer process under which exploration areas are marketed to the oil and gas industry, was administered.

In a short interview with Stuff on Tuesday, Ardern disputed a report suggesting she was walking back from her earlier statements.

'What is the difference between considering the future of oil and gas exploration and considering oil and gas permits for the next year? It's exactly the same thing…Considering block offers, you're considering the future of oil and gas exploration. That is how people access oil and gas exploration.'

Flanked by Energy Minister Megan Woods and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern takes the unusual step of personally receiving a petition calling for an end of oil exploration in New Zealand.

National Party leader Simon Bridges has speculated that the Government may simply be considering the way it offers new space to the industry. Senior Greenpeace officials at Monday's rally commented block offers were not the only way exploration space could be given to the industry.

But the suggestion that Labour may simply develop a new way to offer exploration space drew a testy response from Ardern.

'When have we ever said that we would do that, ever. We have never, ever talked about that. We've never said that, suggested that, campaigned on that.

'We're considering future block offers, that means considering the way we manage gas and oil exploration in New Zealand in the future.'

Asked if the Government was then considering a permanent ban on any new exploration space, Ardern said 'everything' was being considered.

'We're considering everything. And that's the point I've been trying to make, we're considering everything. We haven't made a call, we're weighing up environmental and economic impacts and the issue of a just transition. Am I ready to announce anything? No, which is why I haven't.'

During the Greenpeace rally Ardern never once mentioned what was under consideration or used the works block offer. Asked afterwards what she was 'actively considering' Ardern declined to comment.

On Tuesday she claimed Greenpeace knew what she was talking about. Why did she not mention block offers?

'No reason at all. The people who are involved in the petition know exactly what the mechanism is, so it didn't require explanation. Perhaps I could have chucked in the words 'actively considering what we do with block offers' but in my mind it make no material difference to what I was saying.'

'They won't do it'

On Monday evening, Bridges said Labour was attempting to say one thing to Greenpeace and another thing to the Press Gallery. He indicated that National had also looked at how to structure the block offer process and speculated this was all Labour was considering.

'The conversation around block offers is a valid one that Ministers in National Governments had with officials. [But] I would be incredibly surprised if this Government gets into a 'no new oil and gas exploration territory'. They just won't,' Bridges said.

'Because there's enough wise heads in the Labour Party and New Zealand First potentially to understand that if we transition to a lower carbon economy we'll continue to need fossil fuels and particularly cleaner low emission gas to literally keep the lights on.'

Speaking to reporters in Parliament on Tuesday, Bridges said there was 'a world of difference between changes to block offer, even getting rid of it, and ending all new oil and gas exploration'.

Bridges said Ardern's moves, if they were to happen, would cost jobs.

National leader Simon Bridges said Ardern's comments were a publicity stunt aimed to distract attention from her troubles in recent days over the handling of allegations of sexual assault at a Young Labour camp and the Foreign Minister's statements on Russia.

National has accused Ardern of giving different messages to different audiences.

'Words really matter. This is a multi-billion dollar sector that contributes hugely in terms of jobs in our regions, not a political play thing for the Prime Minister to get her out of a hole.'