June 20, 2019
No jobs for kiwis on oil rigs
Green MP Gareth Hughes says New Zealanders are being treated like mugs by the oil exploration industry.
Oil giant OMV is bringing a massive rig to New Zealand to drill exploration wells off Taranaki and in the Great South basin off Otago.
Mr Hughes says they are looking for fossil fuels the world can't afford to burn if it wants to keep global warming below critical levels.
As well as the risks to the environment from any spills, there is little financial benefit to the country.
"Economically we're mugs as well. We've got the fourth lowest tax plus royalty rate in the world for oil drilling and I've been questioning the Government how few New Zealanders are actually getting jobs on it and I've been working with oil workers who are deeply upset they're bringing in a whole bunch of Norwegians to run this rig despite in many cases kiwis having better skills and more experience," Mr Hughes says.
The Green party believes the country would be better served removing impediments to the roll out of solar power to homes, schools and marae.
Copyright © 2019, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com