New Zealand’s current government has reversed a ban on oil and gas exploration, scrapping a flagship policy introduced by the former Ardern Labour government in 2018.
The bill passed its final reading in Parliament on July 31.
The three-way right-leaning coalition government between the National Party, libertarian ACT, and New Zealand First had signalled the move before coming to power in 2023.
Resources Minister Shane Jones—a senior NZ First MP known for saying “drill baby, drill” in response to questions about repealing the ban—called the Ardern 2018 regulation “the most destructive decision in the history of New Zealand’s industry.”
He was not in Parliament to see the law passed; instead, moving its third reading was left to Climate Minister Simon Watts, who said the ban had caused power prices to increase….
New Zealand Reverses Ardern-Era Ban on Oil and Gas Exploration
