Heatley condemned for inability to answer

Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley has egg all over his face after being criticised strongly by the Speaker for failing to answer a simple question on power prices, but sadly Kiwis remain in the dark, says Labour’s SOEs spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

“While it’s pleasing to see a Minister who’s not on top of his portfolio getting called out by the Speaker, the point of the question was to find out whether the sale of our state-owned energy companies was going to affect power prices,’ Clayton Cosgrove said.

“Clearly, power prices will go up, but there is no way of knowing that from the drivel and fudging provided by Phil Heatley today.

“The Speaker said the Minister’s officials should be sacked for failing to do the arithmetic that was required.

“The person who should be sacked is Phil Heatley for being arrogant enough to decide that taxpayers don’t deserve an answer, and for failing to make his officials provide the answer that was requested,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“The Speaker suggested that he could have done the arithmetic himself. I am sure he could have done so.

“I don’t blame Mr Heatley for not being good at sums, but I do blame him for his arrogance and cynicism.

“His performance today symbolised National’s whole attitude to asset sales. National says the public clearly has no right to know. There is no analysis, and Ministers refuse to have their officials do that work.”