Power cut off, woman dies

[Lias]

Racicm is something I have, in my expatriot career, been on the recieving end of as it is not confined to white guys picking on the black guys.

Your experiences would tend to reinforce my post that xenophobia is present amongst pretty much every race and culture.

[oldrider]

The post I responded to was about the difference between privatisation and deregulation and the confusion between the two. This post is about blame and that is not what I responded too.

Skyryder

Accepted Skyrider.

One of my posts was an attempt to answer the (serious question) posted by Avgas about what NZED's breakup had to do with Mercury Energy!

That the electricity industry was deregulated not privatised!

As a result government involvement expanded into the retail sector, where it had hitherto never been involved at all! (except perhaps in Southland)

I got sideswiped by the emotion of the situation and the continuous attack on the power company being held primarily at fault.

An aside:

I have personally visited Samoa on many occasions (in the sixties) and only have the fondest memories of the people, their customs and their country.

I am disappointed at some of the developments in relations with New Zealanders of Pacific Island origins, (as reported by the media) in and around Auckland of late.

I have no experience of it my self so can't really form an opinion or comment about it except from what I glean from media reporting.

I do not think that the fiasco surrounding this family bereavement will do much to help the situation improve and that to me is disappointing. John.

[terbang]

"It doesnt matter if your white, black or yellow; We all bleed the same"
-Unknown

Yup too right and probably a revalation to some here.

Your experiences would tend to reinforce my post that xenophobia is present amongst pretty much every race and culture.

I'm warming to ya..

[Fatjim]

I think you guys need to get back on point. since I don't know what it was, I'll suggest it is....

Why do we listen to the bullshit we get from the papers/TV when we know it's blatantly wrong. They insult our intelligence, and their own.

There was now way that the woman died because the power was cut off. There are any no. of reason why this is not the cause including

ambulance service
spare bottles
If she was dependent upon it she wouldn't be at home

to name a few.


The problem is that the media is not held to account, either internally, or externally. Any other industry would be regulated by now so this shouldn't happen.

[Hitcher]

This story just keeps getting better and better (or worse and worse, depending on one's point of view).

The latest saga sees some doe-eyed "professional" director (the so-called chair of a power company) trying to protect her arse and government-provided directorships by doing a mea culpa act. The story was all but dead. It should have been left to slide quietly away, protecting the privacy of family to mourn their loss, and for the police and others to complete their investigations.

But no, time instead to slip on some jandals and a lavalava, sniff a freshly-cut onion, and embarrass a grieving family by giving them $10,000 cash in return for a $130 unpaid power bill, all the time under the heartless glare of television camera lights.

Last week when this story broke. Mercury had several options in terms of how they could have let this sad and sorry tale play out. They had all day to get their ducks in a row and to get sound professional advice about those options. Having agreed a plan, they should have stuck to it. Reputation depends on a lot of factors, but it is particularly vulnerable in times of crisis where, if well managed, reputation can be enhanced.

Mercury now looks like a bunch of blathering incompetent toadies. Their contrition is too late and compromised. If what they have done is indeed the "right thing" they should have done that first up. I hope all of their customers leave them in droves and that the Gummint sacks all of their directors for bungling ineptitude.

[Beemer]

This story just keeps getting better and better (or worse and worse, depending on one's point of view).

The latest saga sees some doe-eyed "professional" director (the so-called chair of a power company) trying to protect her arse and government-provided directorships by doing a mea culpa act. The story was all but dead. It should have been left to slide quietly away, protecting the privacy of family to mourn their loss, and for the police and others to complete their investigations.

But no, time instead to slip on some jandals and a lavalava, sniff a freshly-cut onion, and embarrass a grieving family by giving them $10,000 cash in return for a $130 unpaid power bill, all the time under the heartless glare of television camera lights.

Got it in one. Looks like this woman died from major health problems that no amount of oxygen would have helped - and it appears she had been told her lifestyle had to change or she would die. She chose to ignore medical advice and use traditional Samoan treatments, which obviously were not working.

I am appalled that Mercury has given them $10,000 because it smacks of admitting guilt and there is no way they are to blame for her death. I just hope they extend the same financial benefit to the poor bloody contractor who all along has basically been accused of killing this woman. I'd be pissed off if I were a Mercury customer, seeing them reward this family for lying and not paying their bills.

As for Herr Clark, she should resign for sticking her nose in and blaming others before the full facts were known. I hope she at least apologises to Mercury and the Vircom contractor for making them out to be heartless murderers.

I am sickened by the media frenzy over this and the one-sidedness of it all. At first, all of them pretty much accepted the family's story of "our mother was dependent on oxygen and we told the contractor that but he laughed at us and cut the power off and she died" without once asking "your mother didn't die instantly, therefore why did none of you seek help?" Even if the mother told them she didn't want to go to hospital (probably because she knew they would tell her it was all her own bloody fault), surely they could have at least called a doctor - or Mr Union Activist Brenden - for help.

I don't think this woman was killed because of a power cut, lack of oxygen or her own cultural beliefs, she died because she was stupid and that is the tragedy of all this.

And the latest from Stuff:

"Family spokesman Brenden Sheehan said the traditional Samoan apology offered by the energy executives was well received. "It has helped the family enormously. This is a Christian family. A forgiving family.""

Shame they don't hold with the typically Christian values of truth and honesty then.

[LilSel]

I am appalled that Mercury has given them $10,000 because it smacks of admitting guilt and there is no way they are to blame for her death. I just hope they extend the same financial benefit to the poor bloody contractor who all along has basically been accused of killing this woman.

As for Herr Clark, I hope she at least apologises to Mercury and the Vircom contractor for making them out to be heartless murderers.

The donation was just what the family was after though right??... It doesnt matter that its not our fault that she died... noone cares about that anymore... The damage is already done...!! We are Murderer Energy in the eyes of the public/media/world!!... It doesnt change anything.

I doubt she will give an apology... its crazy... she jumped on the wagon n pointed her finger at a SOE of the govt she is primeminister of...
I at least thought she would've been on 'our side'... benefit of the doubt etc.

I dont think any of the hundreds of people that phoned MERCURY and called us murderes... liars... killers... (and many other things that I shant type) will call back to apologise for their behaviour!...

We get abuse a fair bit... and you come to handle it... deal with it etc... but this time... threats? protests?... Why were there people in tears in the office the other day??... oh... thats right... the constant abuse was a bit much for some...

**from a call to us** 'How does it feel to be the voice of a company that murders people??'

[Hitcher]

**from a call to us** 'How does it feel to be the voice of a company that murders people??

You should direct all of those calls to your chairperson to respond to. What an amateur. That should help bring a tear to her eye.

[LilSel]

You should direct all of those calls to your chairperson to respond to.

They didnt want a response... they just called to swear & curse etc...

I work so hard... But im still just one of those bad people aye

[sidecar bob]

I hope the first thing they do with the 10g is pay their overdue power bill.
All those of you that came out fighiting for the family, i wonder how many of you would work for free because a client was claiming health problems?
Put it in perspective as if it were coming directly out of your wages.
Yeah, none of you, Right?
Well thats what the power company was expected to do.

[Milky]

What stikes me as strange is that the company say they tried to phone the household, but couldnt get through. Fair enough, the phone might have been disconnected by the telecom company, but who here still has one of those phones that works without electricity? Our phone/fax and portable don't work in a power cut, and it is only the steam driven 1960s model in the workshop that rings...

[Karma]

Won't vote for labour because Helens PC propaganda has gone too far... if she makes it in this time I'd be very surprised... I also love the way that National and Keys has been VERY quiet over this whole thing... just waiting for the right moment, and bam! electioneering begins!

I will also not bother with Mercury either, they gave them 10k when they shouldn't have... it's called pairing, now everyone and their auntie will be trying to get money outta them by not paying the bill... I tell you one thing for certain, I wouldn't wanna be working in Mercury's collections department now

Mercury - Sir, you have failed to pay your bill, please do so or we will be forced to cut off your power
Customer - But I need an oxygen tank to live...


HAHAH

[Delerium]

Havnt they suspended all cutting power due to ovurdue bills? It has set a precedent though.

[LilSel]

What stikes me as strange is that the company say they tried to phone the household, but couldnt get through. Fair enough, the phone might have been disconnected by the telecom company, but who here still has one of those phones that works without electricity? Our phone/fax and portable don't work in a power cut, and it is only the steam driven 1960s model in the workshop that rings...

yep... we tried to phone over the 7 WEEK ARREARS DISCONNECTION PROCESS... not our fault they didnt have a phone or call us with a cell phone number to update THEIR account so we COULD contact them~!...

A TELEGRAM was delivered by courier to their house advising them they had 48hours to contact us or else disconnection would occur... come on..!!

They had power for their phone to call us during that 7week timeframe... also.. it is an 0800number... and its also FREECALL from a cell phone...

Its still all our fault tho aye?

[LilSel]

Havnt they suspended all cutting power due to ovurdue bills? It has set a precedent though.

Yep... so dont worry about paying your power bills guys... (it'll just go straight to baycorp now I guess... thats alot worse on your record than being late for a bill or being disconnected dontcha think???)

another thing about this case.... it is not hard at all to self reco a premises...
(unless polefuse/pillar fuse/pit fuse has been pulled.. then you need inspector./.faultie etc... but tahts not hard to arrange etiher.~!!)

BUT.... why didnt the son of the lady... turn the power back on if it was that urgent taht they thought she may die without her machine that wasnt essential to provide life support anyway???...
a pair of side cutters and flicking the switch back on is all it wouldve taken..~!... if it was anyone i knew n they needed power for a legit reason... id reco myself then sort out the work side after... these people were just after a payout...tjhey've got that now.