KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says it is "strange" Mercury Energy never told shareholding ministers the Muliaga family had told it of its financial difficulties and tried to set up regular payments to take care of its outstanding power bill.
South Auckland mother of four, Folole Muliaga, 44, died
three hours after the power to her home was cut off on May 29, leaving the oxygen machine she relied on inoperable.
Mercury Energy, a subsidiary of state-owned Mighty River Power, ordered the power cut because of an overdue power bill of $168.40.
Speaking on TVNZ's Sunday programme last night Mrs Muliaga's husband, Lopaavea Muliaga, said he called Mercury Energy in early May while his wife was in hospital and tried to arrange to pay $50 a week towards the bill.
But due to the Privacy Act the company would not discuss the bill with him without his wife's authority because the account was in her name, not his.
He made a part payment of $62 that day and a further $45 on May 17. Twelve days later the power was cut off.
Miss Clark today said it was surprising this information had not been passed on to the Government when it sought detailed information on the case in the days after Mrs Muliaga's death.
"They would I think have known that. They would have been scouring over the contacts that they'd had with the family. So it's a bit strange we had to wait until a TV doco last night to find it out," she said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme today.
"Remember from the time this news came out (State Owned Enterprises Minister) Trevor Mallard and his office were on the blower wanting to get the full story. Last night on the doco was the first time I'd seen that."
Miss Clark said the whole affair had been a "sorry and wretched business".
However, she refused to comment on whether the Muliaga family, who are seeking compensation from Mercury, had a good case.
The family have maintained the contractor who cut the power saw the oxygen machine but ignored pleas from the family not to switch the power off.
Questions have been raised as to whether Mrs Muliaga's sons did enough to get help for her once the power was cut and whether she could have been saved, but family spokesman Brenden Sheehan last night said they had acted appropriately.
Health workers who treated Mrs Muliaga said her severe health problems were exacerbated by "gross obesity" and it meant her life expectancy was short.
- NZPA
