KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
uncle bazz
All things aside, if the power hadn't been cut off this woman would still be alive today. How can this business say they have done nothing wrong??? If no-one has done anything wrong, why has someone lost their life so tragically. Wake up Mercury energy putting profits before people is exactly how you will lose profits, business and customers.
Maureen
I would like to say that I agree with Sue Chetwin, Consumer Institute, her comments say it all. It is not just about who is right or wrong it is an ethical issue. Mercury could see that the family had been making an effort and trying to pay surely this was enough to try and come to an arrangement. I use Mercury as my power provider but I am seriously thinking of changing to Genesis.Is there a fund that we can make a donation to help the family?
Tim Spooner
They do call around in the afternoon to disconnect. Nor do they check if anybody is home.
Danie
This is a very tragic, sad and distressing occasion for everyone directly involved. However there are some questions that need to be answered before everyone is jumping to conclusion. Unfortunately anytime there is a big company involved (big-bad-wolf syndrome), they must be the bad guy. I just wish that although we should sympathise with the family we shouldn't be that quick to place the blame.
Di
While we can apportion blame all we like its a fact of life that while costs are going up wages aren't and these people are a good example of what it's like trying to survive. Power costs are too high - just look at the profit the companies are making - meanwhile wages aren't going up enough to compensate. If people dont understand how some families struggle to pay for essentials they need a reality check.From what I understand the contractors who disconnect electricity have some discretionary powers. I work with people who are in the lower income/poverty classes and I know the reaction from people such as the electricity companies and contractors is often one of disdain and total apathy for their predicaments. Bearing in mind thats a generalisation - some staff are excellent but I rarely get to find the good ones. Im going to watch how this plays out with interest.
Adrien
Firstly my sincerest condolences to the family. I can't imagine how it must feel to lose a loved one in such circumstances.But - Has no-one ever been in a power cut? It's physically impossible to guarantee security of electricity supply full stop. Someone down the road with a digger or a car crash into a power pole or a possum on lines can take anyone's power out at any time. So, if someone's life depends on security of supply, they shouldn't be sitting at home, it's not safe enough. It's appalling that someone could be allowed by the health authorities to be at home in such a vulnerable state. Hospitals at least have backup generators for life-support systems.It's not reasonable to expect Mercury Energy to provide a guarantee of supply sufficient to run life-critical services. So, it's not Mercury Energy's fault - she shouldn't have been at home in that state. If someone lies down in the road and gets run over, do you blame the driver or the person that lay down on the road? Mercury is also a victim in this case, and if I were them I would be fuming at all the knee-jerkers out there calling for their blood.
Brigitta
How could those of you be so heartless and post such views a family have just lost a mother,wife someone that could never be replaced and all I read is what ifs and how come the family blah blah blah. Honestly have you ever been in a situation like this, you can't think straight you panic which the poor kids were and mum being a Samoan parent was calm and just wanted her kids to have a assurance that she was okay so have a heart. Her husband was also paying taxes and so also Mrs Muliaga until she became ill. If you ain't get anything wise and nice to say you know where you can stick your views. My sincere sympathy go out to the Muliaga family especially his kids.
A van Duren
Could there have been a possibility with prior knowledge of difficulty paying the power bill in advance, and that eventually it was going to be disconnected regardless, the family could have quickly strategised to come up with a plan to move the mother to a friend, relative or neighbour's house until the matter was sorted? There looks to have been the time. What happened to communicating to other people of the plight? Were any members of the family prepared to learn CPR knowing this skill would be important given the mother's illness? Why did the family seemingly play helpless since her illness arose?
Martin
This is tragic, but the facts are yet to come out. The NZ Herald (typical of their shoddy journalism) say that her death "resulted" from her oxygen machine losing power. I don't think they, or anyone, can make that assumption (I am a doctor). We need to know what the disconnection contractor was told by the family. We need to know what efforts were made by the family to try to get Mercury energy not to disconnect the electricity. We need to know why Mrs Muliaga was on home oxygen, and how necessary it was for her survival. We need to know why the family did not call an ambulance when the power to the oxygen machine was cut, or when she was deteriorating. What this case does highlight is the need for journalism in New Zealand to improve. The public deserves not to have speculation and hearsay reported as facts by their major news organizations.
Jon
People in Your Views have talked about "why didn't the family call an ambulance?", or "why didn't they courier immediate payment". I don't know the full story. But, calling an ambulance costs money. Lets all who can afford rejoice, and blame those that can't. There will always be inequality, society is engineered that way - you don't blame people for being inequal as though it is their fault - you should thank them for providing balance, you should thank them for not taking the opportunities that you have taken. You should thank them for the sacrifice, by sharing the blame and sharing the tragedy.
Anonymous
I think we do not have enough information to make judgement in this case. Everyone seemed to think that the power company is at fault straight away, but in reality there are many other factors could have contributed to the unfortunate event, one should also view the situation in a context e.g. did the doctors discharge Ms Muliaga too early, did not O2 supplier tell Ms Muliaga that it would use a lot of power (usual practice), was social services involved in her recent admissions to get her sickness or invalid benefit. Also the fact she is on home oxygen may mean that her prognosis may not be good. We do not know whether she is dependent on oxygen 24 hours a day. She could have died from other causes other than the lack of oxygen for 2 hours. Did she want to seek help in her case as she appeared to have time to call an ambulance, was the family members concerned about her state of health just before her death, or help her seek to medical attention. We can not turn back time, but if we want improve society as a whole, we should analyse the situation more carefully and find areas to improve. Often we just we start playing the blame game straight away, because people will generally see what they want to see, and ignore other factors at play. Blame game usually results in benefit to the lawyers, not society as a whole.
Sagree
A simple telephone call or liaison with the office regarding the situation should have been done.
It would have saved the embarrassment to the company and the woman's life.
Cathy Taylor
I have had a contractor try to cut my power off & I asked him to wait until I phoned the power company (not Mercury) whom I told I would paid the account that day,(I had been unwell and had lost the phone account) they said no problem & the contractor left & did not disconnect the power. I believe the contractor was at fault and should have not disconnected the power, but should have phoned Mercury to explain the situation. I think the family who were victims, once the power was turned off, should have phoned for an ambulance immediately & then the police.
Demaris
I cannot understand this situation. The power company representative comes to a home to disconnect the power. He is told that they need the power for oxygen, but still cuts the power off (according to the family). This family then asks mum if she wants an ambulance, but no she wants them to play the guitar and sing to her. Two hoursS later she isn't feeling good and passes away. I am sorry that the power got cut off, but I am more amazed that this family sat down and watched their mother die. Am I incorrect in thinking that they need to shoulder some of the blame in this tragedy. Two hours is more then enough time to call the hospital and or ambulance. To call the power company, to call a friend for help. Sit down in the dark for two hours and pretend someone is slowly dying and tell me you wouldn't get help!
Matthew L. Myers(Philadelphia)
Honestly I think that people should see that the company is run out of business. I know that they have people that work for them that need the jobs, but seriously they have no right to be a utility provider now that they cannot be trusted to safeguard their customers against such things. I can tell you one thing... if it was a family member to someone on the board, it would have been let slide.
Maria
First of all my condolences to the Muliaga family for their great loss. I'm absolutely disgusted by the behaviour and the lack of accountability by the CEO of Mercury Energy. There's been a loss of a life here and all Mercury Energy can do is lay blame or trying to evade the blame! Once again its been a matter of "profit over people" and the contractor is as much to blame as the company. What has happened to compassion and doing whats right?!
All New Zealanders need to take a step back and rethink what they value and remember this could have been your mother, your wife, your sister, your grandmother that this could have happened to.
Brent
Mercury Energy should have their job descriptions reviewed again to include something that was clearly absent compassion. My heart goes out to the Muliaga family.
Natasha
While this is heartbreaking, I'm just wondering, if she was so dependent on the machine and knew it had been shut off, why didn't she go to a hospital? And call me naive, but I just don't think that the contractor knew all the details when he shut the power off - I just don't think that someone could be so cold-hearted like that.
nikora
Oh Please! Give us a break from all the myths, rumours, who said & did what crap we have had to endure from a boringly predictable/sensationalising media and half-witted do-gooders on talk-back & in this column who have nothing better to do with their time. Wait till the true facts are out. How I love New Zealand!
Cheryl
I was very saddened to hear of this ladies death. - If only they showed a bit of compassion and gave the family an hour or so to arrange payment or something else....the outcome may have been different.
Bill
I personally think it stinks. The power company, the minister in charge are all putting forward excuses about why this happened, who cares why, it shouldn't and mustn't happen again. At the end of the day a person Died, no excuses, just Guarantee it doesn't happen again. Make those responsible accountable for this otherwise we lose another little bit of our humanity.
Ure Kismet
The only person really liable for any consequences legal or otherwise is the wage slave at the bottom of the heap who was following established practises if not written policy. With these separate entities it is almost certain that any inquiry would find the problem lost between the cracks of the companies therefore everyone sad but no one responsible much less criminally liable. The previous government is who are really to blame. Once the privatisation genie was out of the bottle it can never be put back, situations such as this became a matter of time. It isn't the first and won't be the last.
Livia
This is such a sad story - but I can't say I'm surprised. About 3 years ago, Mercury cut off my power after I had spent several weeks in hospital, and called them to explain my situation. They were disinterested and sent someone round who just said, well, pay your bills and it won't happen. I had a five-year-old daughter and was not well, but it was immaterial to a sector that is pandered to by the present administration. The tragedy is that, while the family's account sounds the more plausible, no action will be taken against Mercury, no legislative changes will eventuate, and such disconnections will continue to happen, because the government is too scared to upset big corporations. Seems so ironic that the Prime Minister is crowing about NZ coming second on a peace ranking that only reflects geography, when sick people can die in the name of profit. What a sad indictment of our country.
Angela
It is ludicrous to blame Mercury Energy for something which the family themselves could have prevented. Even after the power was cut there were many options they could have taken, getting an extension cord and using the neighbours power, hiring a generator or calling an ambulance, all are options which would have saved their mothers life, but none were taken. OR they could have just paid the bill as requested by mail and courier by Mercury. It is strange that the uncle could suddenly pay the bill the day after but didn't offer to beforehand. This country is becoming a place were no one will take responsibility for their own actions - or rather lack of!
Violet Hancock
I think Mercury Energy need to bring in a system where they ring or make an effort at trying to contact the person in charge of the power bill.
Dejan Nakarada-Kordic
I find it incredible that the power company is seen as a sole culprit here. The family of the deceased woman failed to pay the bill although they knew their mother desperately needed it. This went on for 7 weeks. They could have applied for government assistance. They could have made prior arrangements to prevent cutting of power. Once the power was eventually cut, they watched their mother die over a period of hours. They could have called for an ambulance. They could have taken her to a hospital. They could have asked neighbours/friend/relatives for help. In my view the main responsibility lies with the family. There were so many things they could have done to prevent the tragedy both before and after the power was cut, yet they decided to do nothing. This is far more shocking than the action of the power company employee.
Sad but true
At the end of the day its the consumers obligation to pay the bill when it falls due or to prioritise the importance of which debts get paid first.
Anne Jeffery
I am totally unable to understand why the sons did not call for the Ambulance, regardless whether their mother wanted one or not. 111 is all they had to call. A total waste of a life. I will make sure I am never in a situation where I have to buy power from this provider.
R
This is tantamount to murder. To think that a mother has to die for $200. Are we living in New Zealand or Iraq? There has got to be accountability here. The chief executive of Mercury needs to resign & murder/manslaughter charges lain. This is an incredibly tragic example of the kind of heartless and mercenary society we are now living in. My utmost sympathy goes to the family.
Terry Williams
The machine Folole Muliaga was using is an oxygen concentrator. It is nothing like a life support machine, and it is not used for acutely ill patients. It is a home based respiratory therapy device, similar to a nebuliser or sleep apnoea machine, there are probably at least 1,000 in use in Auckland alone, and 10,000 around the country.It is not used for life support...! it is not used to sustain life, and it is grossly misleading for the media to continue to say it is. The standard procedure when the machine or power to the machine fails, is for the patient to contacts the respiratory service and they will arrange to deliver a replacement machine or bottled oxygen.
Rehana
I don't think the power company is responsible for Mrs Muliaga's death. After the power was cut off, there was ample time to call an ambulance. If the family chose not to call, then I don't see how they can blame the power company for her death. Besides, power companies send out overdue notices and disconnection notices, so the family could have responded to them to avoid the power cut off. On TV last night, one of the sons said he was going to call the ambulance but his mum said not to (I'm sure this is what I heard, so please correct me if I am wrong). So why didn't she want medical assistance?
Adam Williams
The energy company were wrong to cut off this family's power supply full stop. They owed only $168, it is the start of winter and there were children in the house. Very poor decision. Energy companies need to exercise their powers with more restraint. They switched off the power to leverage a $168 payment from the family. The consequences for the family were devastating and the mothers death may have occurred because of this heavy handed collection tactic. If the mothers death occurred because of the lack of power to the house then criminal charges should be looked at./span>
liz
I think there is a cultural disconnection here. I have heard people call into radio stations and in this column ask why they didn't call an ambulance, or why not get an extension cord to run to the neighbours (are you kidding me?) In the quite-traditional Samoan way, the mother probably did not want to cause a fuss. She probably already felt awful that the 'power-guy' had been around to disconnect the power because of her and not wanting to burden the family even more...more than anything, this stress is probably what killed her.I've been thinking about the other recent 'tragedies' that have occurred. Scott Finn's death at the Mount while he was involved in a boy-racing.....that was apparently all on the boy racing...I didn't hear anything about the family not doing anything, why he was there etc etc. Mrs Muliaga was ill. Are you telling me that even though the contractor saw the machine nothing triggered inside of him to think "I should call my boss and see what I should do?" Or is there some kind of culture in the company that he works for that got him too scared to call his boss and ask? I can see there is going to be a lot of finger pointing and butt-covering happening over the next few weeks.If we were in the US, the Muliagas would own Mercury and the contractors involved. This was absolutely unnecessary - whether the disconnection of power was directly or indirectly to blame for Mrs Muliaga's death...it is also unacceptable.
Lisa
When are people going to take responsibility for themselves? Tragic for the family, but to have power, you need to pay for it - like everyone else in the country. Nothing (or very little) is free. I find it hard to believe that they did not have back up supplies. If it was a life-threatening situation, what would have happened if the power had been cut by a vehicle crashing into a transformed? I don't believe they made sufficient attempts to either keep power on, contact the power company, make them aware of the situation, contact them for a payment plan, or how about contacting WINZ for assistance - isn't this what they're here for. Look forward to the outcome of these reports that are to be done - don't believe that the power company is at fault. If the deceased was that ill, shouldn't she have been in hospital? There is certainly more to this story.
Liddy
At the risk of being unpopular, surely I'm not the only one that thinks the single villain in all of this is the contractor himself? After all, only he was actually aware of the situation in the house and his decision to proceed leaves the responsibility of the outcome squarly on his shoulders. It's possible that procedural changes need to occur to ensure this never happens again but I don't believe the level of criticism against Mercury Energy themselves is deserved.
Fed up (Tokoroa)
Will I be able to read any newspaper this year sans having to be informed by some ridiculous story about my old home of South Auckland? Let me define "ridiculous". When the same place is consistently in the news in a negative way, for everything from death by power disconnection to three year-old children being bashed repeatedly until they die, surely there is a plan? No. There is no plan. It is obviously perfectly acceptable for people to sit idle throughout their lives because they are too stupid or lazy to contribute to society or to take care of themselves. This will continue until Labour realizes that a man needs to fish for himself, not be thrown so much fish that he gets fat and incapable of even walking to the closest beach. Life is an amazing privilege and its rules are simple; be nice, work hard, pay your bills, buy what you can afford, don't kill anyone, especially not your children. If you don't abide by these rules don't complain when things go wrong.
Apurva
Give the power company a break till we know the outcome of the police investigation. Commercialisation does not make one gulty of being the perpetrator of this tragedy. The Doctors are saying that it is highly unlikely that a patient on this machine would die due to a power failure as the machine was not intended for 24/7 use. Also, if the family was so aware of the machine being the life saver for their mother/wife, why did they not call the ambulance immediately after the power was cut off or take the patient to the emergency section of a hospital or the local A&E? Would that not be the reasonable thing to do for someone who apparently was begging the power company representative to not cut off the power supply? It seems to me that Mercury is being made the scapegoat by the family in this undoubtedly tragic saga.
B Herbert
Whilst the family were obviously making honest attempts to pay something off what was a relatively small bill, under no circumstances should an essential service be disconnected. This is the action of an arrogant monopoly corporate mentality for which we Aucklanders supporting Mercury Energy are deeply ashamed.
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