I have a son that uses a breathing machine to help him breathe when he is sick and I think that T Fork in New York should spend some time with some very sick people and realize that if you are able to work that you would prioritze and pay your bills on time and if he/she had read carefully the electric company said they did not have a order to disconnect so why did they disconnect her electricity.A storm could have knocked the electricity out but maybe God had something to with that not happening I think that in today's times that people don't really think of people as human beings anymore and noone really is sympathetic to anyone. My heart goes out to this family and I hope that her kids know that their mom is in a better place,the hard part is over with.One PERSON'S lousy utility bill cannot harm a vast company in such a way where everyone in that country's power bill would have risen.I bet the people in her town would have paid that bill for her than for those kids to lose a mom.

Jenae Baldwin, mobile, alabama

Everone is missing the point. It doesn't matter how late the payment was or the amount. The lady needed the power to live. I know that all the other stuff matters to people so they can argue on who to blame. But it all does not matter because after you all had your say and what have you, a husband has lost his wife and children have lost thier mother. And the truth is that is does not matter to anyone else because it was not thier mother of thier wife.

Michael, HUNTINGTON , USA

Tom,
Read the story carefully - He didn't call an ambulance immediately - he waited until she collapsed - despite knowing the oxygen was running out, and her being out of breath!

Alice, manchester,

To Julian from Sydney,

You suggest that NZers stereotype their indigenous Maori people as layabouts.

Firstly, I'm sure some NZers do, but the majority don't.

Secondly, it's a bit rich coming from an Australian (Australia being one of the most racist and bigoted countries on the planet whose race relations policies are regularly condemned by Amnesty International, and where the indigenous Aborigines were once shot as a sport and were not recognised as citizens until the 1960s)!

Tom, London, UK

Now that more facts are known, hopefully the family can retain a lawyer to sue the utility on a contingency or mixed contingency basis so cost will not be a factor. They should ruthlessly sue for as much as they can get.

Em Hawthorne, Ottawa, CAN

Children lost mother in New Zealand only because she paid the electric bill - but not fully? Her power, and therefore her oxygen supply, was cut off because she had attempted to pay the bill but was 158 dollars short? And the man who cut off the power, while he could see she was on oxygen, was “only doing his job?”

Perhaps if the woman had not been of another ethnic origin than the European, she might have lived. Perhaps then the man who cut off her power and risked ending her life and orphaning her family because he had a job to do, might have had his humanitarian instincts or even his childhood learning about mercy, charity etc. take precedence, and he might have used his brain rather than letting a mother of a family die. Perhaps if he had not done so he might have been held culpable of manslaughter – if only she had been of the proper racial profile.

Does New Zealand (/ Australia/ U.S./ Europe ) wish to let other ethnic citizens live, is a question for those who live there to ponder over.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

It amazes me how many people whine and complain about this utility company but most likely live in well to do neighborhoods, may have many options such as cable TV, DVD rental memberships, etc and have many similar families to this "victim" in their own cities. The "big evil" utility company didn't want to let her have free electricity which they would pay for and in turn raise the rates, and now all those who pay would complain about the hike in rates. Yet many are talking about jailing the person who disconnected the person's utilities and the company he works for to pay an unfair legal penalty.

Let's face it she would have died the first time she suffered a power outage from an electrically storm, her family didn't prioritize the electric bill, and it seems they didn't have any legal paperwork to indicate she needs the machine to live. Unless you sign over some paper work telling the electric company to charge you to keep someone's else's utility up, you can't blame the company.

Fork_T, New York, usa

Corporate manslaughter is the lightest of charges that this company adn its officers should face. The man who cut off the power might have been "only doing his job", but he more than his bosses must have been aware of the inevitable consequences. I would have thought that there were grounds for some sort of homicide charge to be braought against him.

Gervas Douglas, Andorra la Vella,

This story is just a little too sensational for my liking. You mean that if the O2 machine packed in (for any reason) she only had two hours to live? I find that hard to believe, but if this was the case, why, why, why did they refuse to call an ambulance? Electricity companies don't just cut you off for missing a couple of payments, they must have been dodging/underpaying the bills for years. If the issue was so critical, could they not have called Mercury Customer Services directly, rather than negotiate with the electrician? There are a LOT of loose ends in this story, and it seems to me to be an elaborate blend of half truths to portray themselves as victims of 'murder'. Why has the reporter for this story published without any reference to other sources?

Shane, Guildford, England

This was started by News Hype "The this will make a good story Press" . The facts as they unfold will show the sad plight of N Z 'underclass' . The 'we don't need to work - just claim from the State class' we have onlt too many of in the UK.

Micael GG, Ilminstar, somerset

When the New Zealand government decided in 1984 to follow Margaret Thatcher and her Friedman economics theories the country lost its soul. Britain might be recovering from Thatcherism but those theories became entrenched in New Zealand. This would have never happened in the country before 1984.The idiotic principle that people are only motivated by money and greed is still how these State owned enterprises operate. Unfortunately you can always find an employee who will follow the company line whatever. The international publicity is embarrassing the hell out of the usually smug bureaucrats. If only we could laugh about watching them squirm but it is too sad for that.

Peter, Lopburi, Thailand

The guy that turned off the power was only following orders. Where have I heard that one before? But I predict that he will be scapegoated, while his bosses to continue to draw their bonuses. The entire board should be jailed. And customers should take their business elsewhere - if that is possible with a power company; most are monopolies, eh? A scandal all around.

Tim Arnold, Slough, UK

interesting to note how the NZers have on the whole no sympathy for this woman. Wouldnt have anything to do with the widespread and unfair stereotype in that country that Maoris and Pacific Islanders are layabouts would it?

julian, sydney,

As for the heartless who ask why they did not do this or that and even why the boy stood by – you are not thinking with your head, nor allowing your heart to function! These were immigrants new to a country and a whole way of life, and the boy wasn’t the assertive native grown one of New Zealand or U.K. or U.S. who might have had the knowledge, foresight or even confidence to call an ambulance (which it seems was not free and they couldn’t afford) when his mother told him not to (she was trying to gather her strength and make do, rather than panic and call for help and incur more debt; she probably did not know she would die); meanwhile there were four little siblings he must have been helping keep from being frightened and so forth. To blame him or her seems callous beyond human limits.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

No, it is no use or not even logical blaming the family; if anyone should have realised the possibility of a risk and hesitated from cutting off the power before calling a few sources (“boss, there is someone on oxygen here”; “may I speak to the doctor” and so forth), it would be the person who “only did his job”.
If those of you who blame the family and the dead mother have still no qualms about your thinking – do imagine someone you care about in a place away from home (take your pick) where a little thought from someone might save the life, and then again a cavalier attitude such as yours (which seems to amount to “they should know better than to get in trouble”) might not.
Have a heart, not just a wallet friendly set of organs.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

Most of the readers are outraged and sympathetic with the victim family, but even they miss a few points. A few million in money do not bring back a missing beloved (imagine being offered money to compensate for losing your beloved child), much less a loving mother of a young family of five children, youngest only five years old. Who is going to take care of them and provide the same love and care and nurture? The crime of those responsible for this deprivation is beyond redemption if you look at it from the point of view of those orphaned.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

In New Zealand we have a welfare payment called Working for Families. The on-line calculator for this payment gives a family in this situation an extra $349 NZ Dollars per week.

Was this payment being made?

If not, why not?

Where is the co-operation by the state health authorities and welfare authorities? There has been a lot of silence on this matter. In fact, I don't thinl anyone has raised the question?

Boudewyn Couprie, wellington, New Zealand

I don't believe for a second this woman just suddenly died because the power was turned off. We're all going to die, but most of us die slowly over the course of a long string of bad decisions. The entire lot of you people who are whining that something should be done are correct. Take responsibility for your own life and make better decisions and you won't end up dependent on others for your existence.

Trevor, Ranger, Georgia, US

my son was 02 dependent from birth till the age of 6,the electricity company in the uk would not have cut the supply even if you were having difficulties with your bill and i know this for a fact as it happened to us they wouldnt even fit a prepayment meter incase we couldnt afford it they said that their duty of care was to my son and they would help us sort something out any way they could and they did,i dont know about in NZ but here you have to have a backup cylinder incase of powercuts,not to mention numerous portable cylinders for travelling out of the home,the 02 machine also had a meter on it which was read quarterley and whatever electricity it used was reimbursed to the electric company,i find it absolutley incredible that this has happened all i can say is im glad im british

sam, leeds, uk

There but for the grace of God go I. Perhaps in years to come the people responsible for this murder will have it come back to haunt them. This should not happen to anyone. It is totally barbaric and disgusting. My sincere sympathies to this lovely persons family. I only hope that the people in charge in New Zealand change the way that they do business. I cannot find adequate words to express the horror and disgust that I feel for the person that "WAS ONLY DOING HIS JOB" perhaps he would think differently if it were one of his family members.

lesley, Victoria, Canada

Maybe we should wait and see what the police investigation and the autopsy report brings out in this case before we all start baying for blood. The contractor, who apparently is very deeply distressed at what has happened, has a very different story than the one that the family have put forward, and the Hospital have said that she would not have been so reliant on the ventilator, or they would not have sent her home.
If their version is correct the only person then to blame is the worker who has clear instructions from the power company not to disconnect the power if there is any doubt at all about medical conditions.
The managment can not be blamed when they have issued clear instructions relating to exactly this scenario.

T.Mory, Timaru, New Zealand

This story makes no sense. Oxygen machines keep running for at least 10 minutes after the power is cut. Did the guy who cut the power off sit around chatting with the family after he cut the power or did he get out of dodge as fast as he could?

If the oxygen machine had NO backup battery, once the power was cut, what powered the alarm that was said to be sounding?

I'm also surprised that the contractor was said to be in the woman's home. I would think that turning the electricity off would be done from the outside. Otherwise, people behind in their payments would simply not let the guy sent to turn off their electricity in.

It's a shame about the woman but this story simply has too many holes in it to be believed.

DelSur, NYC,

To Craig in New Zealand:

I'm ok with the personal responsibility. But where was the contractor's personal responsibilty, not to mention common decency? Was his job THAT important? Is ANY job that important?

Bonzo, Davie, Florida

Let's hope that employees would have more sense than to cut off electricity needed to sustain life. I'd rather do the right thing than anything else in such a situation. At the very least, he could have demanded that his supervisor attend at the woman's home along with police and ambulance.

Em Hawthorne, Ottawa, CAN

Her son should not have listened to her. He should have called poilice and an ambulance as soon as the electricity person showed up.

Em Hawthorne, Ottawa, CAN

The electricity contractor's comment "I was just doing my job" sounds awfully similar to Nazi soldiers' excuse that "they were just following orders".

Any contractor with a conscience would not have carried out that act.

Brian, New York, USA

1. It is unfortunate that the woman died.
2. It is unfortunate that so many people are wading in and offering opinions without necessarily having access to all the facts. Our worthy PM is leading the charge in this.
3. It would be great if everyone could now stifle themselves until the results of any inquiry is made public.

John Waters, Hastings, New Zealand

There is no corporate responsibility. No one will ever be held accountable for ruined or lost lives. At most it will be a slap on the wrist, excuses from all aisles and complete denial until public interest wanes to some other disaster or fiasco. We can petition for better laws, but others will work to block them, some will choose not to enforce them, and we just can't make better human beings. From today to over 2,000 years ago, we are the same people, it's only 2,000 years later. So much change, so little progress.

Calvin Hobbes, San Fransico, U.S.

Anybody who has lived in Auckland knows there are power cuts quite frequently. There is also no way the hospital would have allowed her to be hooked up to a normal power supply if a cut in power could have killed her. Unfortunately it seems that a combination of gross overweight (there are no photos in the Times article) and other chronic health issues killed her rather than the power cut off.

Paul Hewson, Auckland

Paul Hewson, Auckland, New Zealand

1. It is unfortunate that the woman died.
2. It is also unfortunate that so may ill-informed people are bleating on without full access to the facts. Our Prime Minister is right up there on this.
3. It would now be great if everyone could stifle themselves until the result of any inquiry is published

John Waters, Hastings, New Zealand

If i depended on power to live i would make paying my power bill top priority. The family wasnt so poor that they could not pay the bill because they were able to pay it the next day.
Dr. J. Gokhale of Bangalore could not be more wrong. The coontractor was also from the Pacific Islands it was completly unrelated to racism. I dont believe that anyone would cut off the power knowing the concquences of doing it. people in New Zealand are not like that.
The woman took nearly two hours to die, not 12 minutes as the sons have apprantly said. two hours is plenty of time to call an ambulance.
People should not blame the contractor who cut the power. Many people have made mistakes in this case and the only positive thing that has arisen from this is that a reform in the policys of the companies will occur.

Dan Helm, Christchurch, New Zealand

i must agree with dennis in xiamen, china. the person who went there and saw her, clearly hold responsibility, and should not have done his job.

greg, london, ontario, canada

our province in canada is considering private ownership of power to sell it to a british firm, the government makes mistakes, i hope they don't sell out to companies prejudiced against aboriginals. i am white, but still despise the treatment some aboriginals, or maori as well as canadian first nations people, receive from the governments, the justice systems, and the cops. There is a reason they have to fight back, i hope they fight at the political level, not on the streets. because the poltics is where it works to change the laws,

greg, london, ontario, canada

Come on. She didn't pay her bill. It's hardly surprising the electricity was cut off.

But as many other posts have pointed out, the link between cutting off the electricity and her death was far from direct. Plenty of other options were available to her.

What happened is a tragedy, but let's not jump to the wrong conclusion.

Felix, felix.to@hotmail.com,

It was two and half hours after the power was disconnected that the woman died. What happened in that time? Why was an ambulance not called? Why did they not run an extension cord from a neighbouring house (with power). It is just unfortunate case after a series of events. If the bills were paid or if someone had used some common sense, we would not be reading this. I feel sorry for the family but even more sorry for the guy who was doing his job. I think people should look at themselves before trying to put blame on others…..which seems to be happening a lot in this fine country.

Simon, Wellington, New Zealand

Why didnt she have a back up generator? What would have happend in a normal powercut in bad weather for instance? If my life was dependant upon a power supply im pretty certain I would have a back up arranged for emergencies!!!

Jill Howe, Bromsgrove, UK

"But, with the alarm of her oxygen machine sounding, he told her that he was only doing his job."
Lets hope no matter what job we do we all think twice before saying " I'm only doing my job".

CJ, Manchester,

If the contractor saw her on with her oxygen machine, how stupid can he be to realize that it would not work if he cut off the power. He was only doing his job. Most people who only do that and don#t think out of the box, shouild go back to school. What is this workd coming to....

gr mk, gtb, sweden

Never mind manslaughter charges. The individual and his company should be prosecuted for murder one...

Simon, London, UK

a very unfortunate series of events.1:powerman didn't cellphone back to his office saying customer has for one thing a plastic tube coming out of her nose and may need power for a oxygen machine.2:oldest child at a loss to act quickly and appropriately--not all humans of all ages are capable of this take note.3:the last power bill only required payment due JUNE.These are the same things that happen when planes crash.They will always happen again but of course they can be made to be repeated less often.

steve, timaru, new zealand

The family had ample opportunity in the weeks prior to disconnection to contact the power company and make a payment arrangement.

Power companies and other utilities in NZ, such as phone companies, are only too happy to do this if people have financial difficulties.

Customers have a responsbility to make on-time payment or at the very least alert their provider about any expected difficulties.

While I of course express my condolences at the family's loss, and who knows what the police and coroner will decide about the death, utilities in NZ are not the heartless monsters the media seem hell-bent on making them out to be, and that customers do need to take responsbility and communicate with them if they run into trouble.

Scott, Christchurch, New Zealand

Work and Income, New Zealand's benefits agency, does offer funding to pay for electricity for someone's oxygen machine.

Scott, Christchurch, New Zealand

Fear is the key - if you can make everyone scared forever - then you own them forever.

The "fear factor" rules our society more and more ... lets stop it now ...

drk, cadiz,

if you're upset wih the power company for thinking her life not worth £62, you should be more upset with a healthcare system that thought it not worth £25.

personally, I couldn't have switched off the power without being told by her doctor that it was safe to do so. I think it unlikely anyone would be fired for refusing to do his job under the circumstances.

jem, london, uk

This sort of behaviour can only be seen as the hallmark of an entire society gone mad. Recriminating a single individual or, for that matter, a corporation, though totally justified, must - of necessity - speak to a much greater social issue. Individuals don't simply take it upon themselves to behave so anencephalically unless they somehow believe that they'll not be the subject of any reprisals. That message has filtered down from society at large to the corporation along with its directors - and, ultimately to the one person representative of them all.
I think that New Zealanders generally would do well to examine their own individual, as well as collective consciences, and take action forthwith to somehow not only ameliorate this unspeakable wrong but also subject themselves to a national day of penance and mourning.

drbehaviour, Sacramento, California

this is traumatic, and horrible, how can people be so bloody stupid? not the woman, the electricity board, and the gas man, honestly it makes me want to scream,

rachel, aberdeen, grampian

Interesting to note that only New Zealanders are saying "hold on a minute there we haven't heard the full story".
The contractor claims that he wasn't told of the medical condiction requiring power. Was he supposed to know that an oxgen delivery system needed power and had no back up?
The family income was reported in New Zealand as being a low NZ$400/week for a family of six which can only mean that there are some benefits/tax credits that weren't being accessed for one reason or another.
$168 is only the overdue portion of the bill (more than my family of 5 use in a month) and didn't include the current charges. Would it be better if the power company allowed customers to get deeper and deeper into debt?
The biggest question of all is: Why was Mrs Muliaga at home with no back up power supply if she was that dependant on the oxygen delivery machine?
The New Zealand health system may well be more to blame than the power company.

Kirstie Prangley, Auckland, New Zealand

day by day it really feels like we live in the 3rd world ...

Nick Levy, borwhamwood, herts

A testament to why private companies should not be allowed to take on essential public services, profit always comes before people. Train operators are another good example.

phil, london, uk

Yeah, hold on people.

Four notices and six weeks warning and..

*They didn't get a portable 02 bottle as backup
*They didn't call an ambulance when the power was cut (there was a 3 hour delay)
*They didn't arrange a visit from the respiratory nurse or a visit to hospital.
*The doctors were surprised at her level of dependance on the machine.

If this woman was as completely dependant on the power grid as the media is reporting, then a car hitting a power pole down the street or a fault at a substation would have killed her.

It is sad, but she had many options available to her and has plenty of opportunity to preserve her life.

As fun as you find it to say "big evil corporate killing people" how about some personal responsibility?

Craig, New Zealand,

Alice,

read the story a little more carefully, the son said he went to call an ambulance, when he came back hs mother was dead. Unuless he had some sort of healing power we dont know about, the was little more he could do!

tom, ldn, uk

There is something fishy about this. Don't you think if you were dependent on electricity for your life you're make certain you paid the bill even if you had to trim back on your grocery budget? Secondly, wouldn't you have a back-up power source? What if there had been a routine power outage due to a storm? Had that been my mother, I would have made very, very sure that there were multiple fall-back plans available. It's hard to imagine that the power employee company would have imagined that anyone would be so clueless as to rely 100 percent on the public electric works for their lives. I'm sure these shut-off people hear hard-luck stories and tall tales all day long through the course of their jobs. Most people will lie to keep their power from being shut off. The company certainly is in error, but the family needs to bear some responsibility.

T. Roth, Danbury, Connecticut, USA

A very tragic case indeed. It beggars belief that the worker, paid to disconnect the electricity, would still do so faced with the obvious ill-health of the lady and the pleadings of her concerned family. His actions clearly contributed to her death and accordingly he will have to live with his actions for the rest of his life. Mind you, with his attitude, that will hardly bother him. Sad icase ndeed and our thoughts are with the bereaved family.

Donald L Reid, Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

To Dr Gokhale (Bangalore, India)

I would like to think that race had nothing to do with this tragedy. Sadly, people are prone to play the race card without checking the facts. The TV news, if it is to be believed, described the unfortunate contractor as a "Pacific Islander". He claims he was not informed of the woman's condition, the family claim otherwise.

Russell Poskitt, Auckland, New Zealand

I'm sure the son could have done more - Come on people!

Did he really just stand there and watch his mother die?

How about charging the son with gross negligence? !!

Alice, manchester,

I think both of the company and her family need to share the blame of the poor woman's death. However, the comments made by the spokeman, if that's really what he said to the press, really stinks!

Astrid, London,

Get real guys - there's more to this story than meets the eye.

Would such a life saving machine really not have a backup battery?

Could the poor woman's family really not have wheeled her next door?

I may be a cynic but I never believe what the papers say, they usually only print the sensational half of a story.

Jard, Newry, UK

Why didnt she go to a neighbor's house and tell them she needed their electricity because she didnt pay her bill?

Gabby, Little Rock, USA

Yes, the company has a problem if this is an ethic it inculcates. However, irrespective of anything the company managemenht said or did, this is an outrageous abrogation of personal responsibility. The man who actually disconnected the power should be charged - just as an East German border guard was. "Just following orders" is simply not good enough.

Nick, Rotherham, UK

Very clearly manslaughter if not murder, and the contractor is to blame. Inconceivable that the company would have sacked him had he explained the situation, or rung the hospital to ask what to do.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

This wouldn't happen in the UK,

They'd have been switched to a card meter so that the power shut itself off automatically when their credit ran out., Much neater, and no unfortunate publicity.

Jamie, Bolton, UK

This sounds like something that would happen in the U.S. these days.

J.L., Cleveland, OH

Jeez, legal or not, how on earth does the contractor guy, and the people who made the decision to cut off the power to the woman sleep at night!

How cold and callous are they!

Arthur, Newcastle,

" i was only doing my job " is your job worth a life is the question ? He should be charged with manslaughter and i hope the electrical company is writing out a Big check to this ladys family !!!

Sick just sick !

missthang200596, orlando, florida

Were they too stupid to run an extension cable from their neighbour's house?
Why was there no power backup for the machine?
Didn't the hospital factor in possiblitiy of power outages, for reasons other than having it cut for non-payment?

Paul Dougan, Whangarei, New Zealand

The power company responsible is not a privately owned company it is a State Owned Enterprise which effectively is a Government owned company whose prime responsibility is to pay dividends to the Crown. All parties responsible will be ducking for cover under the guise of an inquiry where no one will take any responsibility, no one will be held accountable and the family will be blamed . The police will be under political pressure not to lay charges the reason being given as insufficient evidence to successfully prosecute.

Robert Rutledge, Hastings, New Zealand

If NZ is anything like UK then there's no hope of the power companys having an ethical code because all the PMs are also directors & shareholders in these companys. The companys, in many cases, help fund the political partys...
Everybody is in each other's pockets!

tim, brighton, UK

That isn't manslaughter, it's wilful murder. The employee who stood in this woman's presence and intentionally cut the power supply knew that her death would be the natural result of his action.

Michael Petek, Brighton, UK

If a news reporter in "The Times" cannot spell "cut off" correctly (see the headline of the report in question), then we are living in an age where attention to detail is no longer given the importance it deserves.

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

I believe that power companies should give citizens at least 24 hrs to get the monies to take care of the bill that is owed. Doesn't Auckland have assistance for people who are living near poverty level? I think that this is atrocious and would do everything in my power to make the utility company pay for their unbeliveable error.

Janny, Indianapolis, IN

This situation has arisen because of the privatisation of the electricity industry in New Zealand and the policy of the various electricity companies to contract out certain work, such as cutting electricity to those in default on their electricity payments. It is outrageous behaviour that should never be allowed to happen again. I have lived in New Zealand for 37 years and what has happened in this particular case is rare here. New Zealanders care about each other in the vast majority of cases, and the outrage about this woman's death around the world is nothing compared with the outrage it has sparked here in New Zealand.

Pauline Nidd, Palmerston North, New Zealand

From here, it is very interesting to see the global outrage unfold over this distressing, but sadly not uncommon, turn of events in New Zealand. A health system dubbed the best in the Third World and power companies with advertising budgets into the millions but which are unable to supply power, have been the success stories of our brave-new-right-way. This death will be dismissed as an unfortunate event, unforeseen and unavoidable, in the fullness of time and quarterly production targets will be met and budget projections will be drawn with straight black lines, to everyone's satisfaction.

Edwin Rogers, Auckland, NZ

Absolutely sick and digusting. .The people of New Zealand should all change electricity companies and finish Mercury Energy for good. Eye for an eye.

Lee, Cowes, Isle of Wight

The PARENT COMPANY should not be relieved of responsibility if they hired someone else to turn off the electricity. If you hire someone to prepare your tax statement, you are still liable. They took an action that lead directly to the death of someone. Sounds like manslaughter to me.

Bill, Hampden Sydney, Virginia

The contractor, only doing his job is reminiscent of others "only doing their jobs" in WW2 throughout Eastern Europe. The contractor and the power company should be charged with murder.

Stephen, Chesterfield, UK

I do hope Mr Moulder and the technician who cut the power off to this poor woman's oxygen supply can get some sleep for the rest of their lives. An appalling and callous response from both the technician and the executive. The are just NO EXCUSES for this.

John Spencer, Leighton Buzzard, UK

This is despicable.

Andrew, Zurich, Switzerland

So much for "privatisations" and "competitiveness"...

Krashder, City in the mist,

Have all the facts before you make a judgement. The hospital suggests that the oxygen machine should only be needed at night, therefore she shouldn't be dependent on it. She was morbidly obese (as it appears are the rest of her family) and it is quite likely she died from an obesity related illness. How long had the bill remained unpaid? How many warnings had they had? Could they have paid the power bill by making savings on the amount of food they ate. I agree that the power company should be ashamed of what they did, but I hardly think they should shoulder the whole blame. Sonce it it medically proven that an unhelathy lifestyle will lead to premature death, surely the family should also look to itself and they way they live to find answers to their mother death.

Rob, Hamilton/New Zealand,

As an excuse, "I'm only doing my job" went out of fashion with the Nuremberg Trials.

Laura, Boston, USA

To Mr Taylor

Same as the other centuries then.

Jimmy Hunter, Paris, France

Thankfully, New Yorker's are protected from this sort of thing--mostly.

Still, there's a growing percepton among many consumers, that power companies and other big business seem to be having more influence over people's live than is warrented. And, even more disturbing, is the public's perception--whether real or imagined--that our repective govenment's seem less and less able --or willing--to protect their people of their nations.

Sadly, it's an age-old story: A nation's economics taking precidence over the lives and welfare of a nation's people.

My heart goes out to this family, and I hope that they will be consoled in their grief, with justice and compassion.

Nancy, Glens Falls, USA NY

I feel bad about this and the family suffering by witnessing this.Very sad.
I agree with everyone above!

Brenda, Lakewood , Ohio

This is murder, pure and simple, and should be treated as such.

Andy, London, UK

I don't get it, the company spokesman claims the contractor didn't know about the woman's condition....but was there when the alarm on her oxygen supply went off.
What part of that didn't he understand?

Angela Davies, Eccleshall, England

Shameful, just shameful.
I hope whoever is responsible is dealt with appropriately.

Malcolm, Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada

Part of the problem was the plan to charge the poor family more than 25 quid to have an ambulance. They cancelled it because, of course, they could not afford it. Things are much better than this in the rest of New zealand including Wellington where we have the most marvellous ambulance service, which is free.
One would expect nothing less in any decent society.

Michael Gibson, Wellington, New Zealand

this disgraceful, tragic, news makes me ashamed of being a kiwi, i always thought we were better than that, its a sad day in new zealand....someone needs to be accountable, and quickly.

scotty stevenson, los angeles, usa

If NZ power companys are like UK companys then the politicians will do nothing because they are the directors of these companys and the 'share price comes first'.

tim, brighton, UK

My sister-in-law has one of these machines and without she would be dead within an hour. Fortunately the DHSS pays for her electricity and she also has plenty of spare bottles to back her up in case of a power failure.
Thank God for the DHSS!

Graham, Camberley, UK

Should have paid the bills. Big Business has gotta make money too.

Rich, Atlanta, GA

I am disgusted by the lack of empathy and basic understanding of the womans serious illness and overall condition. The electricity company have deemed by their actions that a womans life equates to £62. What company controls exist to stop this disgusting situation from occuring again? It is apparent that they have failed to act in a reasonable and humane manner. A senior executive or person must be held accountable and answer to this failure to protect a woman in this medical condition.

Andrew Dicomites, Harlow, England

I think this is a simple case due to the alarm having sounded, and so clearly the first comment by Martin Evans must be correct. It is not manslaughter but murder. Remember all those guys facing WW 2 Warcrimes who said they were only doing their job.

dermot o'reilly, new york, USA

Perhaps if she had not been of another race, she might have lived. The man who did the cutting off of power might have had his humanitarian heart not quite so deadened by his need to executte his job at cost of her life and her family. Perhaps, if he had done it even then, he might have been held culpable of manslaughter.

Does New Zealand (/ Europe/U.S./etc.) care to let other ethnic people live, other than Euro-ethnic, that is, is a questionfor those who live there to ponder.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

The only outcome from this tragic story would be a multi million dollar award to the poor children of this murdered woman and a lengthy prison sentence for the idiots running the company.

Michael, Lincoln, UK

Very similar to the ambulance crew here in the UK who made an 80 year old man crawl to his front door because for "health and safety " reasons they werent allowed to carry him.

He weighed 81/2 stone and there were two guys. This culture of "I was only doing my job" drives me nuts its so similar to the Nazi soldiers who all claimed they were only obeying orders.
Sickening!!!!!!!!!!!

Mercury Energy’s general manager, the contractor and the manager who ordered the cut should all be gaoled.

Paul, London,

What the power company did was pure evil (all about profit before the customer) however I can't help but wonder why the woman and her son didn't call 111 (NZ emergency services) or try to get attention from neighbours etc.
It took her a few hours to die so time enough for the son to go get help. Maybe there is a reason why he didn't but haven't seen one written in the NZ papers yet.

Sam Cowan, London,

Don't just blame New Zealand, the world is becoming full of Jobsworth's.
A rule book is for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.
Welcome to a world full of fools.

Ken Wyatt, Todmorden, UK

How could the children have stood by and allowed this to happen? If this was my mum I would have frogmarched the jobsworth electricity man out of the house pronto.

jerry peterson, London, England,

Why should the power company had a responsibility to give power to customers who weren't paying for it. Surely if the family knew that the power was essential to her survival then they had a responsibility to continue to pay for the power. If it is held that the power company had a responsiblity to continue to provide power that wasn't being paid for then this same "reasoning" would say that companies that supply any other product that could be essential for life (food, pharmaceutical, all kinds of medical equipment) would also have to let people take the products on the justification that the company had a responsibility to supply them.
The medical authorities have been reported as saying that "Mrs Muliaga would not have been sent home if she needed the machine to stay alive" - see http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10442627. This seems like the family trying to shift the responsibility/ blame to someone else or to gain financially.

Mel, Akld,

If the contractor was aware this lady had an oxygen machine - and it seems difficult to imagine that he wasn't - then I would urge evry New Zealander to switch to another energy provider.

If Mercury Energy, or contractors working on theri behalf, can be so callous and uncaring the company should be forced out of business.

Alan Prescott, Leeds, UK

Well putting aside the cutting off of power (and Mercury Energy have a different version of the events) then you would have to ask what would happen if it was just a power outage? People have suggested that the woman should not have been sent home from hospital with a machine that did not have backup power. Perhaps the family should take some responsibility (putting aside the issue of unpaid bills)? It was reported here that it was THREE HOURS after the power that was cut off that the woman died. Would you sit around and watch your mother die and not call an ambulance (which would take 20 minutes at most to get there)? It is a just unfortunate case of a series of events, that could have not resulted in death if someone had acted-rather than trying to put blame on others.

Brent Smith, Auckland, NZ

providing public sercives , the provider should consider the special situation .

dennis , xiamen, china

outrageous, the company should be bought down

The family should be compensated

sajid, sheffield,

If the alarm on the machine was sounding when the power was cut, and the contractor was aware of it, it seems to me that a charge of murder would be more appropriate than one of manslaughter.

Martin Evans, Newmarket, Suffolk

I cannot believe this!

This is incredible and revolting. A stinking shame on New Zealand's electricity company.

I am utterly disgusted at the cold, irrational and stupidly irresponsible conduct of Mercury Energy.

What are the Auckland authorities doing about it? And what action can now take the pain away of a family whose member was effectively killed off?

I hope this becomes a global outrage. Manslaughter charges - press ahead!

Roy Le Pre, London,

What kind of human being can stand there and believe that there job is worth more than that womans life?

Lorna Price, birmingham, uk

We can only pray for this poor family

John Huddersfield, Cardiff,

welcome to the 21st century where POWER is more
valuble than human life ,

george william taylor, hull, uk