Hon Roger Sowry MP National Party Energy Spokesman

27 October 2004

'Feel-good report' won't answer energy woes

"The Government has spent $120,000 of taxpayers' money on a feel-good report that makes few recommendations and signals nothing solid in the way of future energy policy," says National Party Energy spokesman Roger Sowry.

He's commenting on today's release of the Government report, 'Creating a Sustainable Energy System'.

"The report offers nothing new, and comes to the less-than-surprising conclusion that renewable energy is a good thing.

"There is no detail in any policy suggestions. The paper looks a lot like smoke and mirrors designed to give the impression that Labour's energy policy is not the ad-hoc, crisis-by-crisis policy that it really is.

"The Government's sensitivity on the issue is best illustrated by the fact that the paper was actually written by the Energy Minister's press secretary during a two-month secondment.

"Yet again Labour has passed up a golden opportunity to clearly articulate their energy policy into the future.

"While we all agree that renewable sources of energy, utilised in a sustainable manner, are of benefit to us all, I think everyone who pays a power bill would like to have seen more solid detail on how the Government's future policy will achieve this," says Mr Sowry.

ENDS

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