Who will foot the bill, Dr Smith?

The Government’s Rena recovery plan leaves the unanswered question of whether the ship’s owners will be held to account or whether New Zealand taxpayers will be footing the bill, says Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson.

“National’s plan, while better late than never for those coordinating recovery efforts, leaves questions around cost recovery wide open,” Grant Robertson said.

“Nick Smith speaks glibly about the Government’s intentions to hold the company to account, but taxpayers deserve more certainty than that.

“The government needs to take action to protect our collective interests. This cannot become an additional burden for Kiwi taxpayers.

“Now we finally have an environmental recovery plan, questions still remain not only about whether the ship owners will foot the bill, but also about the speed of the government’s initial response.

“A wide ranging and independent inquiry must be held into this incident so we can be prepared for any future maritime and environmental disaster,” Grant Robertson said.