#1: 作者: missish, 时间: 2013-4-22 21:40

They intend creating a central purchasing agency, NZ Power, which would buy wholesale electricity from all the generating companies "at a fair price" and pass on significant savings to consumers.

The average household power bill would be cut by up to $330 a year and businesses would pay seven per cent less than they do now, the parties say.

"Lower power bills will kick start Kiwi businesses," Labour's associate finance spokesman Shane Jones said on Tuesday.

"Our policy would provide a $450 million boost to the economy that will create 5000 jobs."

Labour's deputy leader, Grant Robertson, says people dread opening their power bills every month.

"The average household power bill has gone up by $770 since 1997 and National will continue to let prices rise," he said.

"Under National, power companies will continue to make super profits on the backs of consumers."

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says the policy is "nothing more than deliberate economic sabotage for attempted political gain".

Mr Joyce says financial analysts including JB Were, Woodward Partners, Milford Asset Management, First NZ Capital, Devon Fund Management and Forsyth Barr are "unanimous in their condemnation - one has labelled it a `hand grenade' to the economy".

Finance Minister Bill English says it would take five years for a Labour/Greens government to implement the policy because large numbers of supply contracts would have to be renegotiated.

The announcement of the policy last Thursday forced the government to amend the prospectus for the Mighty River Power share sale and insert a risk warning to investors.