Photo: Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
A top government minister personally added a fossil fuel lobbyist to the shortlist of candidates to help govern the country's main energy-saving agency.
Simeon Brown then overrode official advice to appoint the lobbyist to the role.
The former Energy Minister put John Carnegie on the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) in December, despite Carnegie not making the cut during interviews.
Officials managing the recruitment process twice tried to exclude the fossil fuel lobbyist from the running, according to documents released to RNZ under the Official Information Act - first after an initial screening, and a second time after Brown instructed them to interview Carnegie.
Brown also made another appointment to the EECA board the same month - that of accountant Vijay Goel.
Former Energy Minister Simeon Brown put John Carnegie on the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, despite Carnegie not making the cut during interviews. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Goel's appointment also came after Brown instructed recruiting staff to interview him, then overrode advice that he was not suitable for the job.
EECA was established by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 to encourage, promote, and support energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewable sources of energy. As part of its role promoting renewable energy, the agency gives out grants and loans for cleaner electric alternatives to fossil fuels.
Two board positions on its seven-person board became available when some former board members resigned or decided not to seek reappointment.
Carnegie is chief executive of Energy Resources Aotearoa, formerly the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association and has been a leading voice for the repeal of the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration as well as support and subsidies to make fossil fuel drilling more attractive.
Initially, Carnegie was on a long list of potential options whom recruiters at the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) approached to apply.
He applied and was considered, but officials decided the oil and gas spokesperson should not progress to the shortlist.
However after viewing MBIE's shortlist of candidates, Brown told officials not to interview anyone on it.
Instead, he instructed them to interview Carnegie and Goel.
John Carnegie has been a leading voice for the repeal of the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration. Photo: Supplied / Rob Tucker
After interviewing both men, MBIE's recruitment team determined that Goel was "unsuitable" and Carnegie was at the "lower end of suitability" against the list of selection criteria.
"MBIE, at your request, interviewed candidates for appointment to Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
"MBIE does not consider the candidates suitable for appointment to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)," the recruitment team told Brown.
They offered a further shortlist of candidates who they believed met the criteria.
But Brown appointed Carnegie and Goel.
Carnegie and Goel each declined to comment for this story.
Brown is no longer energy minister and has not responded to questions about the hiring, however new Energy Minister Simon Watts defended the appointments on behalf of the government.
Watts said he had not discussed the appointment process with Brown but it was a Cabinet decision and he was comfortable with the hirings.
"We need to ensure EECA has a range of sector and governance experience to ensure the board drives value for money," Watts said in a statement.
"Appointed members are also subject to collective and individual duties as set out in the Crown Entities Act 2004. This includes acting consistently with the board's objectives, functions, and Statement of Intent, so I am not concerned."
'Fox in charge of the henhouse' - Greens
Green Party energy spokesperson Scott Willis said having Carnegie at EECA was like "putting the fox in charge of the hen house".
He said the government might say it was committed to tackling climate change by getting to net zero emissions but the appointment of a fossil fuel spokesperson to the board role showed it was in "climate change denial."
Willis said politically friendly appointments were common after a change of government but typically appointees were also suitable candidates.
He said Carnegie's appointment "completely flies in the face of the authority's mandate".
Carnegie previously criticised one of EECA's functions - giving out grants helping companies get off coal and gas - because it was shrinking demand for fossil fuels.
In a July interview on online channel The Platform, Carnegie called grants for moving to electric boilers "state-subsidised demand destruction".
Previously the government defended his appointment to an agency whose job is boosting renewable energy by saying it is "energy agnostic" and wants a range of voices represented in the transition to net zero carbon.
Minister Brown responds
Questioned later - during a health announcement - about the appointment, Brown said he had gone against the officials' advice because Carnegie was someone who had "significant experience in the energy sector".
"You want people on that authority who understand the energy sector, as he does. And look, you know, he's the right person, you know? And officials are welcome to their advice - we actually think we need people with experience on public sector boards.
"Their [EECA's] job is to make sure we are efficient with energy across all types of fuels, and that's the focus that he's going to bring to that role."
He said the government was "very concerned about" climate change, and was focused on achieving net-zero targets by 2050.
"Simon Watts is doing a huge amoubnt of work to address that issue across government, both as minister of climate change and as minister of energy."
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