ACT welcomes the Government publishing a draft Critical Minerals List, a step towards fulfilling a key ACT coalition commitment.

“For too long, New Zealand governments have tried to have their cake and eat it too. Any sensible person knows you cannot have modern life without mining, but too many politicians have ignored that fact. Some have literally been using iPhones to campaign against the process that created them,” says ACT’s Energy and Resources spokesperson Simon Court.

“The critical minerals list will not only help get critical minerals into industries New Zealanders depend on, it will inject a dose of realism into our policy settings.

“First world lifestyles require minerals, and this country is in luck. Due to its unique geology, New Zealand is blessed with a wide range of critical minerals needed for mobile phones, specialised steel products, and medical technology. It’s time to join the real world with policies that use our luck.

“Policies that allow New Zealand miners to supply the world with the materials in highest demand will support a high-skill, high-wage workforce in the regions.

“Pro-mining policies will increase royalties for the Crown. With growing pressure on health and infrastructure, among other costs, that should be welcomed across the political spectrum.

“Ensuring a secure supply of locally produced energy and mineral resources is also good for national security. It means New Zealand and its allies have options in the very real technological race that is occurring in the Pacific and beyond.”

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