Pike River families may get govt apology
WELLINGTON: The Government is considering a formal apology to the families of the 29 men who died in the Pike River Mine explosion.
Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of the tragedy, and it follows the announcement last week of a plan to reenter the mine’s drift in February next year to see what can be recovered.
Pike River Reentry Minister Andrew Little was in Greymouth yesterday to mark the anniversary.
‘‘There’s no question that on the Government side of things, the families have been let down horribly badly, and that ought to be appropriately acknowledged and the best way to do that is through an appropriate apology,’’ he told RNZ yesterday.
But he did not shunt all of the blame on to the previous government.
‘‘I’m not attributing it to any one party leading government at any particular point in time. The reality is the degrading of our health and safety laws,’’ said Mr Little, who at the time of the disaster was the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (now E tu) national secretary.
‘‘It’s not about party political differences on this.
‘‘It happened because we allowed a political culture to develop where these things were degraded and devalued, and now we’ve got to find a way to make sure that this never happens again.’’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern agreed with Mr Little, but said now was not the time to apologise.
‘‘I do think it has more meaning if we ensure this process around reentry into the drift is undertaken as a first step. That’s what the families have prioritised. That’s what we’re committed to do.
‘‘But I do think there comes a point where an apology will be the right thing to do.’’
The Government’s independent adviser on the mine recovery operation, Rob Fyfe, has also called for an apology, but National Party leader Simon Bridges disagreed.
‘‘I don’t think so,’’ Mr Bridges told RNZ.
‘‘One thing that honours the legacy of these 29 men and their families best is what happened with the Royal Commission with an independent health and safety taskforce, and then the most comprehensive health and safety changes in the history of New Zealand, particularly in mining.
‘‘I think that’s what honours the legacy of these men.’’
The previous Nationalled government had wanted to reenter the mine, but the advice was that it was not safe enough to do so.
The Government’s plan is to reenter the mine’s drift via the existing entry. One of the risks identified is that there will only be one way in and out.
Some of the families of the men who died are still hopeful that Pike River mine boss Peter Whittall could face manslaughter charges, and police have not ruled that out.
WorkSafe New Zealand initially laid 12 health and safety charges against Mr Whittall, but they were dropped after $3.41 million was paid to the victims’ families.
The Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful for WorkSafe to withdraw its prosecution in exchange for payments to the victims’ families.
Last week senior National MP Judith Collins said Mr Whittall was the ‘‘villain’’ and, if possible, should face prosecution.
‘‘I think there is a villain here . . . Peter Whittall was the person who has the most responsibility in this, and if there’s any evidence that comes out of this mine showing that there should be a prosecution, and then I think we should get on with it,’’ Ms Collins told the AM Show. — NZME