17 Jul 2013

Billboard challenges minister over anti-mining law

9:58 pm on 17 July 2013

Greenpeace has erected a billboard in downtown Wellington challenging the Energy Minister to release documents proving he was not pressured by the oil industry to introduce a new law cracking down on anti-mining protesters.

The Labour Party released a series of documents that it claims indicate that Simon Bridges met with oil company Shell and discussed the law change.

In a statement Mr Bridges said on Wednesday he stands by his earlier comments that he was not lobbied at any time by Shell representatives or anyone else to make the change.

He says he did meet with Shell in February this year, but the law change was not raised with him.

Greenpeace says the 300-square-metre billboard featuring Mr Bridges will stay up for the next few weeks.

The new law was passed in May this year.