New portfolio apt for Young
He may be in opposition but Jonathan Young is thrilled with the chance to be a spokesperson for a vital driver of his electorate’s economy.
New Plymouth MP Young has been named the energy and resources spokesperson for National.
‘‘It’s an area that I’m very passionate about and I have a depth of experience with being the MP for New Plymouth obviously around the oil and gas sector,’’ he said.
The role comprises not just oil and gas but the electrical sector, gold mining and any other extractive industry, he said.
‘‘It’s quite a broad portfolio and very technical. It’s something that is very important to regional New Zealand in particular.’’
He said it would change his dayto-day role, as he covered all new information across the sector and held the government to account.
‘‘I’ll be doing a huge amount of reading and writing and research.
‘‘It’s very important in that role to ensure that the decisions that come from government are robust and sound and are heading in the right direction.’’
He said he had a lot of connections in the sector and would continue to build those networks.
It was important to continue to support the petroleum industry in Taranaki, he said, which employed more than 7000 people, including a lot of service companies such as accounting.
‘‘It’s a very integral part of our regional story and regional success.’’
But he said his new responsibilities will not impact on his role as New Plymouth MP.
‘‘It doesn’t change any of that at all,’’ he said. ‘‘I will carry that on with the same energy and passion as I have in the past.’’
It was a great opportunity to work in an area that did a lot for the Taranaki regional economy, he said.
‘‘For me it’s an opportunity to step up into a role that I’ve been looking forward to for some time.’’
Young regained the New Plymouth seat in September with a majority of 7276 votes.
"It's quite a broad portfolio and very technical. It's something that is very important to regional New Zealand in particular."
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young