Government must prove their dodgy claims – Stand With Pike
If the Government wants to keep claiming it’s unsafe to re-enter the Pike River drift it should show some real proof and let it be properly tested, say families of the miners who died there.
Anna Osborne, who lost her husband Milton in the disaster, says “Once again Nick Smith has trotted out safety as an excuse to avoid doing the right thing. If he really believes that the mine can’t be re-entered he should present his evidence to be tested by experts.
“For four years, the Government and Solid Energy told us the drift could be re-entered and there was a plan to do just that. Now, suddenly, it’s too dangerous – even though nothing has changed.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, we’ve got two of the most respected mines experts in the world to assess the mine including the Vice Chair of the United Nations Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane. They’ve been to Pike, and they’ve been clear that the drift can be safely entered.
“We’ve got three other international experts, two of whom have personal experience with this mine and a third who is a preeminent authority on mine rescue, who advised on the rescue of the Chilean miners in 2010. All three have looked at our plan and endorsed it.
“We’ve got New Zealand’s former Chief Inspector of Mines not just saying it’s safe to enter but that he’d be proud to lead the team to do it, and most of the mines rescue experts in New Zealand wanting to be part of that team.
“How much more proof does Dr Smith expect before he even starts to question the bad advice Solid Energy has given his government? What more are we expected to do to show it is safe?
“The Government’s behaviour is sickening. Not just because it’s denying us the chance to get our loved ones back, but because it stops us finding out what actually happened down that awful hole and being able to stop it happening elsewhere to someone else’s husband or son.
“This isn’t a safety issue. If Andrew Little’s bill gets backing, it’s in no way a legal issue. It’s a political issue – because our government failed to keep our men safe, failed to hold anyone accountable for their deaths, and failed to keep its promises to get them out. Nick Smith should just come out and admit that rather than hiding behind pretend concerns about safety.”
It can be done. It’s just how it gets done.
IT MUST BE DONE FOR SOULS TO FINALLY REST IN PEACE
Well said Anna. Good luck and solidarity for the resolution of this farcical situation. The protection of corporate mining interests is obviously what is at stake here not safety. When have this govt ever cared about safety for workers? Nick Smith wouldn’t know a safe mining environment (or for that matter a safe forest, farm or factory) if he fell over (in) it He is the hypocrite not Andrew Little. Shame on the National Government who no doubt also secretly support the exploitation of migrant workers, Talleys bullying and St John cutting strikers wages. Time for a change of Government.
yes JROBIN we need a government that cares about all NZers not just the rich
It can’t be that dangerous if you have the right respiratory gear and gas monitoring equipment?
Working underground is dangerous all the time. It is impossible to engineer a safe mine. Every rule in mining is there because some one died. So risk assessment are made, that tells you what tools you need to enter, make the work site safe, set up the work site so heavy machinery can come in and do the heavy lifting
# WITH PIKE RIVER ALL THE WAY.