New Conservative
New Conservative observes that since the advent of the Russia/Ukraine war, countries of the world have been rushing to restore and improve their energy independence and resilience. Especially as regards oil and gas.
Meanwhile, our government goes blindly in the opposite direction. First, they imposed a moratorium on new oil and gas exploration licences. Now they preside over the closure and dismantling of New Zealand’s only oil refinery, making New Zealand wholly dependent on imported oil. We are now totally exposed to the vagaries of war, supply disruption, and international energy prices.
The more energy New Zealand imports from overseas, the worse our balance of payments, and the lower everyone’s standard of living. While this government appears to believe that more EVs on the road will reduce imports of oil, every new EV introduced is powered by electricity generated from burning coal (our least preferred method of electricity production but necessary), which is also imported. Our quality coal, in the meantime, remains firmly in the ground by government decree.
New Conservative reiterates its longstanding support for primary industries and for the energy sector. New Conservative will:
- Re-open New Zealand’s oil and gas fields for exploration.
- Encourage the oil and gas sectors.
- Re-start the mining of our own coal, some of the best in the world.
- Pursue a policy of energy independence and abundance in all viable forms of “made in New Zealand” energy.
- Build resilience in New Zealand’s energy supply.
