What We Share

The end of the school year is imminent. I catch up with Sonya with whom I have shared many conversations beginning, "So what progress have you made lately?" Sonya has steadfastly fought to recover the body of her son, Ben, and the other 28 men killed in the Pike River Mine explosion. The mine blew up on the afternoon of 19th November 2010, a disaster which stunned our community, coming as it did not long after the September quake. Two of Sonya's sons were in the mine. Ben died but Daniel who was refilling his loader managed to get back to the entrance dragging a co-worker, also suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, with him. Access to the mine was deemed too dangerous and the families were not only unable to bury their dead but also denied a full investigation.

Over the years Sonya's fight for justice and mine have run alongside each other. We've exchanged updates around the tea pots in the staff room. I've joined a Pike River picket. Finally, in 2017, a newly elected Labour lead government gave approval to remove the seal to the mine and in October 2019 the families were allowed down the first part of the shaft. The process to recover their loved ones' bodies and the evidence necessary to piece together the causes of the deadly explosion will bring resolution and closure. 

I'm grateful to Sonya for her support over the years. Her steadfastness, strength and courage gave me hope as I waged an unavoidable battle with EQC and the insurance industry. The lesson: truth and integrity provide dignity and a safe space while we ensure that justice is served and wrongs are righted.