Opposition parties are calling for Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson to resign after the Pike River inquiry was told she did not implement mine safety recommendations in a 2008 review.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the disaster, in which 29 men were killed in explosions at the West Coast mine, was told yesterday that recommendations were made in an October 2009 briefing paper to improve safety in small mines, but not all had been adopted.
A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson today said the recommendations had no bearing on operations at Pike River, a large operation, as they covered small mines, with 15 or fewer miners.
"With regard to the recommendations themselves, the minister adopted all of them bar one - instead opting for more work on technical guidance to assist the two small underground mines we have,'' he said.
An Engineering and Printing Manufacturing Union proposal to introduce check inspectors was not picked up by the review, although Ms Wilkinson had been aware of it.
