Parliamentary committee requested to act urgently on the refinery petition

Chris Leitch wants the Parliament Petitions' Committee to consider his petition on Refining. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The initiator of a petition that calls on the Government to keep Refining NZ running has requested Parliament consider the issue as a matter of urgency.

A petition started by Chris Leitch, leader of the Whangārei-based Social Credit Party, in September last year garnered 18,000 signatures in support of his call for the Government to declare the refinery a nationally-strategic asset.

The petition also pushes for the Government to compulsorily buy all the shares from private owners using money created by the Reserve Bank.

The petition is now with Parliament's Petitions Committee which has sought further information which could take weeks.

Leitch this week wrote to committee chairwoman Jacqui Dean, asking her members to seek a substantially shorter timeframe to receive the information sought, given the refinery would convert into an import-only fuel terminal from April 1.

He said it might be several weeks before the committee again considered the petition and might then seek further public and industry submissions.

"That may be considered a satisfactory process for the majority of petitions however, this particular issue has significant urgency."

Dean said the committee was considering the petition in a way that was consistent with Parliament's Standing Order.

Jacqui Dean said the Petitions' Committee was seeking Chris Leitch's petition in a way that was consistent with Parliament's Standing Order. Photo / NZME

Leitch said the refinery had received its last shipment of crude oil from overseas last week and when it has been processed, the closure of Refining NZ would begin.

"It will certainly be impossible to reverse in four weeks time when the information your committee has sought becomes available, it then schedules a time for its consideration, possibly seeks public and industry submissions, considers those and does a final report that is presented to Parliament," he said.

It meant the final report was unlikely to be tabled in Parliament before the middle of June at the earliest and likely much later than that, he said.

By that time, he said, the refinery would be shut down and dismantling might have begun.

Leitch said the continued operation of the refinery has become even more critical given a spike in fuel prices in New Zealand as a result of the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

"Should your committee report to Parliament a recommendation in favour of the petition it will then be a wasted effort on the part of approximately 18,300 New Zealanders to get their voice heard on this vitally important energy security matter."

Clerk of the Petitions' Committee Annabelle Gould said who Parliamentary committees sought further information from was confidential but typically they did so through a submission/submissions on a petition from relevant government departments as a first step.

The Petitions' Committee could meet under urgency if it was in agreement to do so, she said.