Editorial: Culture change urgently needed

When tragedy strikes the grieving will never really end for some. The pain will fade over time, but memory can always threaten to bring it back. It must be so much harder for mourners to cope when questions of blame and responsibility continue long after the loss of a loved one.

In Saturday's editorial I wrote about closure. Two stories in the news this week also raise that issue.

Police said on Wednesday no one would be charged over the death of cyclist and mother of two Jane Farrelly, who was hit by a passing truck near Taupo in March. Mrs Farrelly's family say they are stunned by the decision.

On the same day police ruled out criminal charges over the deaths of 29 men at the Pike River mine. A lawyer for the men's families said there was a "sadness" at the lack of accountability, and there were calls to change the law because companies can't be held criminally liable.

In both cases families are understandably upset. Their loved ones are dead through action or inaction involving others. They need to know why the deaths happened, what could have been done to prevent them, and ultimately, who was to blame.

But our police, of course, have to operate within the law.

If experienced, professional officers, having broad scope to investigate an incident come back and say they've assessed all the information and there will be no charge, there shouldn't be one.

Unless you believe the law to be insufficient.

That's what many are saying about Pike River.

Labour MP Andrew Little, who has a corporate manslaughter bill in the ballot, says the charge would mean failures in corporate culture can be called to account.

Fair enough, but while companies' in-house rules will only be as good as their policing of them, they don't operate within a vacuum. Corporate culture will always in some way be shaped by rules, restrictions and policies set by central and local government.

Without criminal charges to answer for the deaths of Mrs Farrelly and the Pike River miners, we can hope that at least through publicity around the cases we will see culture change based on respect for one another - whether in the workplace or on the road.