5. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Energy and Resources
Does he agree with the Green Party that providing Government assistance to insulate and retrofit private houses to make them warm, healthy, and energy efficient should be a key component of the economic stimulus package?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Energy and Resources) Link to this
Generally, yes. Improving the insulation of a house by way of retrofitting has a positive impact on the health of its occupants, and can lead to energy efficiency.
Can the Minister confirm that we now have genuine cross-party agreement on this Green Party initiative to make people’s homes warm, dry, and healthy?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE Link to this
It would seem that there is a degree of consensus in the House about this matter, but I point out that the Labour Party, which now makes a huge noise about this issue, failed miserably to fund a so-called billion-dollar programme while it was in Government. The Labour Government talked about a billion dollars, but that was just an illusion. There was no billion-dollar fund.
Charles ChauvelHas the Minister read new section 223 of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act, which came into force on 26 September 2008; if so, could he remind the House of what it provides?
Kevin HagueCan the Minister confirm that there are around 200,000 Kiwi kids with asthma and a further 200,000 adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that a great many of them stand to benefit substantially from the Green Party’s proposals for a Green Homes Fund that would make their homes warm, dry, and healthy?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE Link to this
There is little doubt that far too many dwellings in New Zealand are under-insulated. The best estimates show that the figure approaches some 900,000 residences. It is further estimated that about 200,000 of those dwellings are very, very poorly insulated, and, generally, are occupied by people who are on lower incomes. There is no doubt that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority programme that exists now is doing a good job in trying to lift the insulation values in those homes. The evidence is overwhelming that when people are in warm homes, they are healthier.
Is the Minister aware of any proposed project that will create more jobs faster per $1 million invested, while at the same time improving health and reducing carbon emissions, than the Green Party’s initiative to make homes warm, dry, and healthy would create?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE Link to this
I am aware that the Prime Minister made it clear after the Job Summit that he was particularly keen to investigate some energy-efficiency projects around home insulation. He has further asked me to instruct officials from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Economic Development to provide advice to the Government on how that may be given effect.
Can the Minister confirm that this kind of Green New Deal investment is exactly what the World Economic Forum is calling for when it says “The international community faces the twin challenges of dealing with the most serious global economic crisis since the 1930s and negotiating an ambitious agreement on climate change. We suggest that the two agendas can and should be designed to be mutually reinforcing.”?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE Link to this
I do know that the Prime Minister has said one of the aspects that is intriguing about the insulation of homes is that “it’s scalable across the country. …. you’ve got a situation where you’ve a workforce that’s ready to do that’’ because “the construction sector’s been slowing down … you do get health and social benefits;”. And there are some energy savings, which, of course, have a flow-on environmental benefit as well.
Which of the following statements is correct: one, the previous Labour-led Government legislated via new section 223 of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act to provide for a billion-dollar home insulation fund; two, the legislation was enacted by Parliament in September, after the time when it could be included in the 2008 Budget, and after the deadline for mention in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update; three, the Government has misleadingly and consistently claimed that Labour’s programme for insulation retrofits was unbudgeted for and was therefore cut; or, four, all the above?
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE Link to this
There is nothing misleading about the claim that Labour failed to fund its billion-dollar promise to New Zealanders. That is just a fact. What is worse is that we had the then finance Minister and the then energy Minister trying to spend the money twice. Those Ministers said that any windfall profits from State-owned enterprises would go into new renewable generation, but everybody else in the previous Labour Government seemed to believe there was going to be a big pot of cash available for insulation. There was no cash, and as much as the Labour members might have legislated, until there is cash, nothing happens. Under Labour, nothing happened.
I seek leave to table section 223 of the amendment Act, for the Minister’s benefit, so he can read it.
Mr SPEAKERI seek leave to table a statement reporting comments by Dr Nick Smith that the insulation fund had not been provided for and was therefore cut.