Key keeps meeting with Anadarko boss quiet

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Thu, 17 Nov 2011 6:07p.m.

James Hackett is the boss of Anadarko, which wants to do deep sea drilling off New Zealand’s coastline

James Hackett is the boss of Anadarko, which wants to do deep sea drilling off New Zealand’s coastline

By Patrick Gower

3 News can reveal Prime Minister John Key made time in his diary this week for a secretive meeting with the boss of an oil company that wants to undertake deep sea drilling off New Zealand’s coast.

The company is controversial; it was party to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the biggest environmental disasters in history.

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Mr Key has been pretty busy the last few days but he still found time in his busy campaigning schedule on Tuesday to meet with James Hackett. Mr Hackett is the boss of Anadarko, which wants to do deep sea drilling off New Zealand’s coastline.

Anadarko had a 25 percent share in the deep sea drilling project known as Deepwater Horizon.

It went wrong and caused the Gulf of Mexico spill.

Deep sea drilling is controversial in New Zealand. The Green Party say that is why Mr Key wanted the visit kept quiet, just like the ‘teapot tapes’.

Green party co-leader Metiria Turei says Mr Key is ignoring New Zealander’s and their call for his transparency and honesty.

“At the same time he is holding secret meetings with people who have been responsible for catastrophic oil spills around the world,” says Ms Turei.

The Rena grounding off the coast of Tauranga in October drew New Zealand’s attention to oil spills – it held about 1700 tonnes of oil, maximum.

Deepwater Horizon gushed out a massive 627,000 tonnes.

Anadarko wants to explore deep sea drilling off the Taranaki coast and in the Great South Basin that would go to similar depths.

And 3 News has been told Mr Hackett, who was also on the board of oil giant Haliburton until earlier this year, was here on holiday and popped in to talk to Mr Key about it.

“The communities who have been out there scrabbling through the sand trying to get the oil out at this sensitive time, don't want to see the Prime Minister fraternising with these people at this time,” says Ms Turei.

So John Key can find time for a cup of tea when the big oil companies come knocking. It seems he probably just preferred nobody knew about this one.

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Comments

27 May 2012 12:23p.m.

aarron wrote:

I dont think people buy hydrogen cars because I have not seen any in NZ, we cant. I think we should be in charge of our own oil exploration so we can make sure the best safety systems are in place to safeguard our own coasts and create jobs for our unemployed and get our country out of debt. Big companies like the ones that want to drill our coastlines dont give a rats about our enviroment just the bottomline kick em out and keep em out I say us kiwis can do it ourselves.

24 Nov 2011 03:36p.m.

Charlie wrote:

I have a question. Most people say they are 'nauseated' by the prospect of deep-sea drilling in New Zealand. So, why do you all put oil in your cars instead of buying hydrogen-powered cars and getting them into the popular market? Also, why do people believe that New Zealand must NEVER be drilled, and instead other countries must deal with the risks? What makes us better than them?

22 Nov 2011 10:28p.m.

Rachel wrote:

Is it only me who can't see it? Did JK really have a phone call or was that an act? He never spoke, his expression never changed he never made any involuntary movements like you do when you are listening to someone??? Another big act John????

21 Nov 2011 09:42p.m.

heremia tepoe wrote:

@eddie, the tv3 online big poll has labour well ahead of national and that is with around 7,000 voters. key is losing his mojo and people now remember he is just the smiling assassin exposed. he cut night schools as soon as he won the last election that cost thousands of students
from completing skills and qualifications. he must go.

21 Nov 2011 10:05a.m.

Daz wrote:

Do you think this is the only secret meeting that Mr Keys has had. What about meetings with GAS companies that are about to do CSG production in our country. Google the word " Fracking NZ". This will be even worse than oil. This will destroy our ground waters for life effect our farming industries, pretty much anyone who has anything to do with water. Now Mr Key want s to stay on as our tourism minister. Yeah really 100% pure. Should read 60% Pure 40% toxic.

20 Nov 2011 02:50p.m.

eddie wrote:

LOL, you muppets...National 50%, Labour 28%...yeah your blabbing and water cooler convincing really makes a difference eh?...lol...loosers!

18 Nov 2011 04:33p.m.

Niels Koervers wrote:

How can you take someone seriously who can turn global warming into something positive?? He says " THERE ARE LESS PEOPLE FREEZING TO DEATH!!" Freezing to death is by choice, mountaineering and other sports or by greed from oil and power companies, who got the green light from the governments to increase prices as they wish. No person should freeze to death cause there is not enough power!! The numbers of people dying of hypothermia are insignificant to the number of people who die because no rain has fallen for month or even a year!! This guy would say smoking is good for you, it relaxes you!! and would most likely sell his mother to an oil Baron if he could drill in his back garden!! Shame on you John, thought you were not such a bad chap, but you politicians are like magicians, you wave your right hand, but complete the trick with your left!! Ow.. let me guess, next is the positive effect on the economy!! You guys get into positions like that, not because your good, but because you don't give a shit!!

18 Nov 2011 03:25p.m.

Brent wrote:

Are you kidding me? "Global warming is actually a real positive because we have less people freezing to death...". OMG. Is he serious? I cannot believe such ignorance and stupidity coming from the head of a multinational. Wait... oh year he wants to keep drilling/polluting so he makes more money, I forgot his slight conflict of interest on the matter.

18 Nov 2011 01:38p.m.

pondering wrote:

Our PM is making more dodgy deals over the tea cups. Bearing in mind the controversy over the fatal flaws in the mining industry in NZ this matter is of great concern. Industrial and safety laws covering these mineral resources have been drastically castrated over the last 3 years. We in NZ have been set up for exploitation and being stripped of all our resources. We have been sold off at a bargain price. Pretty much handed over on a plate.

18 Nov 2011 09:35a.m.

Robin Westenra wrote:

Well done TV3 for making this public. Absolutely nauseating comments from the oil compony exec on global warming