MIL OSI – Source: Green Party –
Headline: Full details of oil execs’ junket revealed
Full details of a $237,000 taxpayer-funded oil executives’ junket in 2011 have emerged.
National paid the nearly quarter of a million dollars to wine and dine 11 oil executives in New Zealand during the World Cup.
The trip included yachting, wine tasting, luxury accommodation and fine dining.
The Government has confirmed to the Green Party the trip involved a $7,200 wine tasting trip and accommodation costing almost $10,000 a night at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington.
“National seems to have a bottomless slush fund from which to lavish money on big oil,” said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman.
“This is a case of Simon Bridges giving oil executives first class treatment while our precious environment gets third class treatment.
“The extent of National’s indulgence shows just how out of touch it is with ordinary people.
“It’s offensive to New Zealand families struggling to get by for their money to be used on yachting and wine tasting for wealthy foreign oil executives.”
Only two of the 11 companies who were part of the four day trip have since entered the New Zealand petroleum exploration market, and Simon Bridges has confirmed no jobs have been created as a result of it.
Simon Bridges confirmed in Parliament he’d never spent that that sort of money [$237,000] on clean-energy company executives.
“Simon Bridges needs to stop playing oil industry groupie and start leading New Zealand’s transition to a cleaner, smarter economy.
“With the fourth lowest oil royalty rate in the world, and 90 percent of all profits going off shore, deep sea oil drilling is a case of New Zealanders taking all the risk while foreign oil companies take any gains.”
If in government, the Green Party will ban deep sea oil drilling in New Zealand.
“Voters have a real choice this election. National and its pollution economy, or the Green Party’s plan for a cleaner, smarter economy, under which our beaches remain open for swimming, not closed for oil spills,” said Dr Norman.
“We will protect our beaches by keeping the deep sea oil genie in the bottle.
“There are cleaner, smarter, ways to achieve a prosperous New Zealand than risking our beautiful beaches.”
The full itinerary for the New Zealand Oil and Gas Summit 2011 is as follows:
- A launch event at Te Papa Museum on the evening of 30 September. A winery tour at Palliser Vineyard (1 October), including a catered lunch by Ruth Pretty. A catered corporate box at two Rugby World Cup matches. Sailing at Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (2 October) and lunch at Martin Bosley. An all-day conference (October 3) which included round table talks and presentations on New Zealand’s regulatory regime. A post-conference dinner at Logan Brown (3 October).
- The total cost = approximately $237,000. The total cost of wine tasting (including venue hire, wine tasting, a catered lunch and transport) was approximately $7200. Accommodation at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington was provided for four nights at a total cost of approximately $37,000.
- The attendees visited Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and sailed on Wellington Harbour for 1.5 hours, followed by lunch at Martin Bosley’s restaurant in Wellington.
- The 11 companies that attended New Zealand Oil and Gas Summit 2011 during the 2011 Rugby World Cup as guests were: – Anadarko – Apache – Chevron – Conoco Philips – CNOOC – ENI Australia – Hess – KOGAS – Murphy Oil – Shell – Statoil
© Multimedia Investments Ltd Terms of Use/Disclaimer.
