John MacDonald: I've got a solution for the power bill problem

This poll out today saying nearly half of us are more concerned about power prices than we were a year ago, is nonsense. 

Because I reckon we’re all concerned about it, not just nearly half of us. 

If you’re not concerned about your power bill, then I’ll have what you’re having thanks. 

Only 8% of people who took part in this survey by Curia said they were less concerned. I’ll have some of what they're having, as well. 

More to the point, as well as being worried about the prices, we should be just as —if not more— concerned about the lack of action when it comes to doing something about it. 

And maybe that’s because there is actually one way of doing something about it. It’s probably a bit old school, but I reckon we are never going to get on top of rising power prices unless the government takes over ownership of the whole thing. Just like it used to. 

Nationalise it. 

Because I’ve had a gutsful of politicians saying the same stuff, year after year, and nothing changing – and I’m talking about politicians from all sides here. 

And the people who took part in this survey feel the same. 69% said the Government isn’t doing enough to bring prices down. 13% thought it was, and 18% didn’t know. 

The results also show 67% believe the profits being made by electricity companies are unreasonably high. The only thing I would say to that is, how do they know? 

I’m sure you can find that information somewhere, but I think there is an assumption that the power companies are creaming it. 

Nevertheless, for me, the only solution to the power price issue is nationalisation – then we’d get more than just words and no action. 

Example: Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones going all “shock horror” on it. Saying he can’t believe how bad things have got. 

He’s saying today: “I can’t believe, even in my lifetime, I’d see it this bad.” 

Which is all very well, but what are you going to do about it Shane? 

My message is the same to Energy Minister Simon Watts, who is saying: “Energy prices have added real pressure to household budgets at a time when the cost of living is already biting hard”. 

Yes Minister. But tell us something we don’t know already. 

The current government. The last lot. The government before them. And the one before them. They’re all the same. They tut-tut about power prices and promise this and promise that, but nothing changes. 

And it’s probably because they know that they can’t actually do anything, because the model is broken. 

They probably know that the only way they could do something would be to buy back the shares in the big power generation and retail companies that were flogged off years ago go back to some sort of electricity corporation model. 

I’m not the only one thinking that this is old-school approach is the answer. 

Power prices going through the roof are a problem all around the world. Which is why over in the UK, one of these think tank outfits thinks the British government should take over ownership of all the gas power stations so that consumers aren't "held to ransom" by the power companies. 

So if they think that, and I think that, what do you think? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
This poll out to day. You might have heard about it.
A poll out today saying nearly half of us are
more concerned about power prices than we were a year ago.
This poll is nonsense, absolute nonsense, because I reckon, we
are all concerned about it, not just nearly half of us.
If you are not concerned about your power bill, then

(00:34):
I'll have some of what you're having things. Just so
you know, only eight percent of people who took part
in the survey by Curier said they were less concerned.
I'll have some of what they're having as well. Their
life must be brilliant. More to the point, as well
as being worried about the prices, we should be just

(00:56):
as worried, if not more worried or concerned about the
lack of action when it comes to doing something about
electricity prices. And maybe maybe that's because there is actually
only one way of doing something about it, and it's
a bit old school, so you think about this, but
I reckon, we are never going to get on top

(01:19):
of rising power prices unless the government, the state takes
over ownership of the whole thing, just like it used
to nationalize it. Have the government take over full ownership
of these companies, because I've had a guts full of
politicians saying the same stuff year after year and nothing changing.

(01:40):
And I'm talking about politicians from all sides here, and
the people who took part in the survey feel the same.
Sixty nine percent this is the bit that isn't nonsense.
Sixty nine percent said the government isn't doing enough to
bring prices down, thirteen percent thought it wasn't eighteen percent
didn't know. I won't have any of what they're having.

(02:02):
The results also show that sixty seven percent believe the
profit's been made my electricity companies are unreasonably high. Now, look,
the only thing I would say to that is how
do they know that. I'm sure you can find that
information somewhere, but I think there is an assumption that
the power companies are creaming it. Nevertheless, for me, the

(02:23):
only solution, it's a power price bit that I'm worried about,
and for me, the only solution is nationalization. The state
needs to take back full ownership and control of the
electricity sector. Then we would get more than just words
and no action. Example, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones, who's

(02:46):
going all shock horror on it today saying he can't
believe how bad things have got. He's saying, quote, I
can't believe even in my lifetime i'd see it this bad,
Which is all very well, But what are you gonna
do about Shane. My message is the same to Energy
Minister Simon Watts, who was saying today, quote energy prices

(03:07):
have added real pressure to household budgets at a time
when the cost are living is already biting hard. End
of quote. Yes, minister, but tell us something we don't
know already. The current government, the last loot, the government
before them, the one before them, they're all the same.
They tapped heart about power prices and they promise this
and they promise that, but nothing changes. And it's probably

(03:31):
because they know that they can't actually do anything because
the model is broken, and they probably know that the
only way they could do something would better buy back
the shares and the big power generation and retail companies
that were flogged off years ago by Max Bradford and
going back to some sort of electricity corporation model. Now

(03:52):
I know, Oh sounds old school I get it back
to the future, all of that. But I'm not the
only one thinking that this old school approaches the answer.
You see power prices, you'll know this. They're going through
the roof all around the world world. And I remember
hearing a story about a year ago, it was from
the UK about people going to food banks and turning

(04:13):
down potatoes because they couldn't afford the energy to cook them.
And I bet you that there are people in the
same boat here in New Zealand, which is why over
in the UK we've got one of these think tank
outfits suggesting the exact same thing I'm suggesting to you
today as a solution to this endless spiral of power
price increases. So this think tank calls itself Commonwealth. It

(04:36):
thinks the British government should take over ownership of all
the gas power stations over there so that consumers aren't
held to ransom by the power companies. That's how they
put it, same thinking as me. So if they think that,
and I think that that nationalization is the only solution,
what do you think.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to News Talks, it'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio