ACT MP Brooke van Velden has had a public telling-off by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment who says she wrongly quoted him about the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration.
The letter from Simon Upton to van Velden, published on the commissioner's website, said her comments were "incorrect and misleading".
The new coalition Government plans to repeal a ban on exploring for new oil and gas reserves off the coast of New Zealand, which was brought in by the Labour-led government in 2018.
Appearing on TVNZ's Breakfast show on November 28, van Velden said the "Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment looked at this ban after the fact, he said it's likely to increase global emissions because we still need electricity as a source".
A similar comment was also made in the ACT Party Energy Policy:
"The decision to ban new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018 was done without analysis, without a Cabinet decision, and without public consultation. It was subsequently revealed that there was no cost-benefit analysis and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment found it would actually increase global emissions by forcing activity offshore."
However, the Commissioner said he "most definitely did not say that the ban would increase global emissions".
In fact, the Commissioner said that those opposing the ban must acknowledge there is "no firm basis" for these claims.
Upton added the comment van Velden might be referring to was a passage in his report that said those who oppose the ban can legitimately claim: "The ban is unlikely to significantly reduce domestic emissions other than reduced fugitive emissions and reduced domestic emissions from the production of methanol if Methanex were to exit prematurely."
Upton said the report was a nuanced issue and he took care to ensure his findings reflected that.
"As someone whose role is to serve our Parliament, I put a great deal of effort into trying to help all MPs make sense of the often-complex issues they grapple with. In return, I rely on Members who wish to cite me in political debate to do so accurately," he said.
"You correctly cited my concern that the original ban was not the subject of a careful analysis of the costs and benefits. I would say that of any decision relating to the environment. Five years have passed since the imposition of the ban and much has changed since then."
Upton added that it would create an "excellent precedent" if the Government's decision to lift the ban followed a thorough analysis of the costs and benefits of such a step.
"I urge you to do so and would be happy to comment on the design of such an initiative," Upton said.
The decision to reverse the ban has sparked immense criticism from opposing parties, with the Green Party launching a petition to stop it. So far, the petition has gained over 25,000 signatures.
The repeal also earned New Zealand the 'Fossil of the Day' award at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) which is presented to countries who are "doing the most to achieve the least" in terms of progress on climate change.
In a statement, van Velden maintained the Government's position on repealing the ban.
"The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report noted that one of the significant impacts of the ban could be the premature closure of New Zealand methanol production facilities, driving production overseas to less efficient coal-fired facilities, like those in China," she said. "The report notes that this outcome would be expected to result in higher emissions.
"ACT's opposition has constantly referred to the negative impacts of forcing activity offshore and we stand by this point. By driving production to less efficient areas, global emissions are liable to increase.
"The decision to ban new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018 was done without analysis, without a Cabinet decision, without public consultation and without a cost-benefit analysis. This Government is doing the right thing for New Zealanders by repealing it."
