Post by GordonPost by Rich80105https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/08/reaping-what-they-sowed.html
This will be one of many articles explaining why the other sides actions
have caused all this and they have not done anything to cause the present
situation.
Meanwhile the lights are likely to go out and the fix will set us up fot the
next disaster.
I agree, Gordon. This part in particular points out the issue, and
the lack of an easy answer:
"Their sole legal duty is to make a profit for their shareholders, by
gouging as much money as they can from their customers. If Jones
doesn't like that, and wants an electricity system that works for us,
rather than being a price-gouging cartel, he knows the answer:
re-nationalise it, and take back what National stole."
While it is easy to say "re-nationalise," in practice if you want to
retain any confidence that as a country we are trustworthy, that needs
be done by compensating the current shareholders at least the current
market value, and the value of a near monopoly is of course higher
than in a competitive market. The other way is to first require a
Telecom type split - probably of generation from distribution to make
the problem slightly smaller, but also to introduce a competitor -
which realistically would be the government itself. Unfortunately at
present our government has other priorities (tax reductions for
property owners, helping set up Charter Schools, and of course "More
Roads!") The next government will have priorities of rescuing a
public health system, rescuing education, restoring a rail connection
from the Nth to Sth Islands, finding money to pay international
obligations under Climate Change agreements, and fixing near bankrupt
local authorities and restoring clean reliable water supplies.