Families of the men killed in the Pike River Mine Disaster are said to be angry at NZ Prime Minister John Key’s unwillingness to follow-up on promises he made about the mine.

Again, issues about the cost of recovering the bodies and the loss of evidence have been raised. It would seem to be a very convenient solution just to seal the mine but the motives for doing so have been called into question and transparency is being called for.

In a press release issued by Phil Goff, leader of NZ’s Labour Party

Key must come clean on Pike River Mine decision

The Prime Minister should step up and take responsibility for the decision to seal the Pike River mine, instead of dodging it and passing the buck to police and the receivers, says Labour Leader Phil Goff.

“The families who lost loved ones in this disaster are rightly angry at the way they have been treated. At the time of the disaster, John Key rushed down to Greymouth making promises that he now says he can’t keep. He was happy to front at the time of the tragedy, but now the hard decisions have to be made, he’s desperate not to take responsibility.

“The families are angry because they weren’t consulted about the decision to seal the mine before it was made. They also haven’t been given access to the evidence on which the Government has based its decision. They feel the Government is not being upfront with them about the real reasons for the decision.

“If the mine is to be sealed because of safety reasons, then the Government should present the families with the evidence to justify it. If it’s really about the cost, then John Key should come clean and tell the families face-to-face.

“All the information should be made available to the families, including the opinion of the Mine Rescue Team. The team should not be prevented from expressing its view openly.

“Coasters are tough, straight-talking people. They’d rather be told straight up what the reasons are behind the decision and be given the plain, unvarnished truth.

“It’s a sad day when the families now feel compelled to consider court action to prevent the sealing of the mine and to get the answers they deserve,” said Phil Goff.

ENDS

Just what Goff means by “the team should not be prevented from expressing its view openly” is open to speculation, but its in line with the general feeling that there were tight restrictions on who has been allowed to speak to the public about the disaster, including relatives of the deceased immediately after the explosion.

The costs of the operation are considerable, plus the Pike River Contractors and Suppliers group is pleading for financial help.

More than  80 members of the group, formed last year when receivers told them they were unsecured creditors, are owed around 8 million dollars. In all they employ about 200 people and are struggling to stay in business.