Shane Jones: ‘Some of the rhetoric will appear cavalier and slightly over the top’

Friday, 16 February 2024

Resources Minister Shane Jones says people derive hope and purpose working in the energy sector.

Minister for Resources Shane Jones has promised to “rehabilitate and re-legitimise” the energy sector in an uncompromising message to industry executives that did not list environmental protections as a top priority.

Speaking at an event organised by Energy Resources Aotearoa and hosted by consultant PWC, Jones said that if he had anything to do with it, by 2040 there would be a “flourishing mining sector, employing all my nephews”.

“You and I, as Kiwis, have allowed voices, forces, ideology to conquer a legitimate part of the New Zealand economy, ie. digging things up, extracting resources from the Earth and the depths of the sea,” Jones said.

People derived hope and purpose working in the energy sector, he said.

“It is my view that gas will be around in New Zealand as a key feature of our energy system well beyond 2040.

“This minister is in the business of ensuring we stand up for and restore the role of the natural resources sector in regional New Zealand and if you don't like it, you'll have your chance at the next election.”

Jones’ message drew enthusiastic “hear, hears” from one oil and gas lawyer in the audience who called for a politician to “stand up for the science” and rein in a narrative which he said was being perpetrated by “some climate scientists paid by government agencies to come up with very scary stories”.

Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the challenge of keeping the lights on kept him awake at night.

Jones responded he was “New Zealand’s number one doubting Thomas”, but appeared to admit that some of his commentary was intended to shock.

Last month, Jones said no-one should underestimate the Government’s appetite for increasing mining, and if a mining opportunity was impeded by a blind frog, then it’s ”goodbye, Freddie”.

“Some of the rhetoric will appear cavalier and slightly over the top,” he said on Thursday.

But if the country wanted to restore its reputation with energy investors as a safe place to do business in the wake of the former government’s ban on new offshore oil and gas permits, it would need not only commercial lawyers “but a megaphone”, he said.

Energy Minster Simeon Brown focussed on the Government’s goal of doubling renewable electricity generation by 2050 in his address to the industry executives.

But he said his top priority was to “keep the lights on”, saying that was a challenge that kept him awake at night.

Last month the Electricity Authority kicked off consultations on whether consumers and businesses might need to pay for reserve power generation that may not be needed, in order to reduce the risk of power cuts.

Energy Resources Aotearoa said it applauded the ministers’ ambition to build a 'flourishing and growing energy and resources sector'.

Chief executive John Carnegie said the abandonment of the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project and the former government’s 100% renewable electricity target showed the Government was “focused on achievable solutions to keeping the lights on”.

“This change is welcomed by ERA members,” he said.