“MURDER AT PIKE RIVER MINE?” Timeline…………

17  April 2011  (I put this up on 16 April 2011 – but I mistakenly thought it was ‘published’ when it was still in ‘draft’ 😦

Because a number of people have complained about not been able to read “Murder at Pike River Mine?” through the link provide – I have cut and pasted the ‘timeline’ – so people can read it here.

The Pike River Mine ‘Whistleblower’ – Dr Jacob Cohen, has made some VERY serious allegations, which in my considered opinion, need a full and thorough independent investigation.

I recommend that people carefully read what follows – double-check the references for yourself – and above all – please THINK for yourself!

Penny Bright

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Although just slightly less than four weeks has expired from the time the original book wasfirst published on December 24, 2010 till now (January 21, 2011), a lot has happened in the interim as events have moved so quickly.

This Postscript has consequently been written to bring the account more up-to-date with new information in a much more condensed format by means of a “timeline” of key events – which may help people to more easily understand
the complexities of the conspiracy – and why the author alleges, beyond a shadow of doubt, that corruption and collusion has occurred at the highest levels – leading to the callous murder of 29 men at the Pike River coalmine on November 19, 2010. All copies of this book, Murder at Pike River Mine? that have subsequently been published after January 21, 2011, include this Postscript.

1) 1940s: First geologists explore Paparoa area for coal.
2) 1970s: Beginning of consenting history for Pike River Mine.
3) August 9, 1961: John Phillip Key is born in Auckland, only son of George Key and Ruth Key (née Austrian Jew, Lazar).
4) 1988: John Key joins Bankers Trust in Auckland as a currency trader.
5) 1995-2001: John Key joins Merrill Lynch (later taken over by Bank of America on September 14, 2008, at the height of the 2008 Financial Crisis. Although some organizations continue to use the name, Merrill Lynch ceased to exist as a separate entity in January 2009) as head of foreign exchange in Singapore, Sydney, and global head of foreign exchange based in London. He was also a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001.
During his employment with Merrill Lynch some co-workers called him “the smiling assassin” for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.
6) 2002: John Key is elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives.
7) March 12, 2004: Minister of Conservation Chris Carter approves the access arrangement for Pike River Coal Ltd.
8) 2004: John Key is appointed the Finance spokesman for the National Party.
9) 2005: Peter Whittall is appointed General Manager Mines at Pike River Mine.
10) August, 2006: Construction of a 10km access road to Pike mine portal is completed.
11) 2006: John Key succeeds Don Brash as the NZ National Party leader.
12)July, 2007: A successful, Initial Public Share Offer raised $NZ85 million including $NZ20 million in over-subscriptions for Pike River Coal Ltd. Major controlling cornerstone shareholders are: New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd (30%), Gujarat NRE Ltd (7%) and Saurashtra World Holdings Private Ltd (6%). Pike River Coal was listed on
the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchanges.
13) August, 2007: Construction of site Administration Offices, workshops and power to the Pike River mine is completed.
14) eptember, 2007: Trans-Tasman Resources Limited (TTR) is established byS Bill Bissett, former General Manager of Australian mineral sands company Iluka Resources and ex Rio Tinto Iron Ore executive Paul Berend.

The company’s aim is to explore, assess and develop the rich iron ore deposits (iron sands) off the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. TTR holds a prospecting licence for two offshore areas (tenements) between Rangitikei River in the south and to the Waikato River in the north under permit #50383 on the Crown Minerals map. It also plans to build a giant, hi-tech steel mill in New Zealand, using iron sands to produce semi- processed steel slabs, titanium and vanadium for export to China and South-East Asia. Some of the high quality coking coal production from the West Coast of the South Island is planned to be used for the new mill. However, the company points out, that over 70% of New Zealand’s entire mineral wealth is located on conservation lands, in the seashore or seabed, and the company with other foreign mining companies have approached the Government to ask Crown Minerals to review all
areas with significant mineral potential that could be worth billions if removed from Department of Conservation control.
www.ttrl.co.nz
www.ttrl.co.nz/cms.aspx?page=Industry_News&flag=4
15) November, 2007: Pike signs an 18-year contract with State Owned Enterprise, Solid Energy to rail up to 1.3 million tonnes of coal a year 250 km to the Port of Lyttelton for export.
16) January, 2008: Perth-based Bathurst Resources Limited is floated on the Australian Stock Exchange to position itself as a New Zealand focused coal mining company with over 10,000 hectares of prospective tenure in the Buller Coalfield, located in the South Island.
17)April, 2008: Under the guise of New Zealand Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, with a large business delegation and diplomats, Trade Minister Phil Goff signs a momentous NZ/China Free Trade Deal with his Chinese counterpart Chen Deming in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
18)June, 2008: Pike signs an 18-year contract with Nelson-based TNL Group Ltd to truck up to 1.3 million tonnes of coal a year from the coal preparation plant to a new rail load-out facility on the main rail line at Ikamatua 22 km away.
19) July, 2008: Pike River Coal Ltd is included in the NZX Top 50 listed companies.
20) October, 2008: Completion of the Pike mine 2.3 km access tunnel under the Paparoa Ranges to break through to the Brunner coal seam is completed.
21) October, 2008: Construction of the Pike eastern pit bottom area is completed.
22) October-December, 2008: Delivery of heavy coal cutting machinery including a $5 million road-header, and two $4 million continuous mining machines are received by Pike River Coal.
23) 2008: John Key is elected New Zealand Prime Minister in November.
24) 2008: Discussions take place between foreign mining company executives, including Hamish Bohannan and associates, (now directors of Bathurst Resources Ltd), the New Zealand Government and the Department of Conservation seeking an access agreement to develop a large new opencast coalmine on the Denniston plateau, 13km
east of Westport.
25)January, 2009: The construction of the Pike River Coal $10 million rail load-out facility at Ikamatua is completed.
26) January, 2009: The raise-boring of the $7 million, 108 meter deep, ventilation shaft from the underground mine to the surface is completed by Pike River Coal.
27)January, 2009: Construction of Pike’s $20 million coal preparation plant is completed.
28) February, 2009: Construction of Pike’s 10km water-fed slurry pipeline system to get coal from the pit face to the coal preparation plant is completed.
29)February 19, 2009: Pike River Coal Ltd issues a news release ‘Pike River Coal Ventilation Shaft Rock Fall Being Remedied.’ Close to or on this date, the Pike River mine ventilation shaft suffers a serious rock-fall affecting a 30-meter zone near the bottom of the shaft blocking ventilation to the mine delaying mining operations underground until ventilation can be re-established. Remedial activities begin immediately. This news release includes a ‘cross-section and plan view of the ventilation shaft,’ showing the rock-fall, design and how they plan to repair it. CEO
Gordon Ward says, “The top 66 meters of the shaft was successfully supported and stabilized, prior to a rock fall affecting a zone of nearly 30 meters near the bottom of the shaft … Insurance assessors have attended the site and are preparing their reports on the incident.” See: www.pike.co.nz/news.php&news_id=140
30)June, 2009: The Pike ventilation shaft repairs are completed, and full ventilation restored to the mine and mining recommences.
31)July, 2009: Pike River Coal Ltd now has about 350 million shares on issue, held by more than 8,000 individual shareholders, and a market capitalization of $NZ400 million. The company is still not producing any coal exports or generating any income and there have been widespread cost overruns in capital expenditure.
32) September 6, 2009: Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd on their website include an article from stuff.co.nz entitled, Global giants eye $7 billion Kiwi bonanza; “Under the radar and in many cases under the sea some of the biggest names in global mining are moving in on New Zealand’s undeveloped mineral wealth. Mining giants Rio Tinto
and Fortescue Metals, respectively the second and third biggest iron ore producers in the world, are surveying the ore-rich west coast of the North Island…In April, Fortescue was also granted offshore prospecting permits running north from New Plymouth and comprising 1523km2. New Zealand’s iron-sand deposits are the most extensive and the most concentrated in iron in the world…Besides rich iron ore sands, for which there is huge demand in China for steel-making, Fortescue is also surveying for precious metals including lead, zinc, magnesium, silver, aluminum,
tin and copper. Meanwhile Rio Tinto has two applications pending on prospecting permits for offshore Taranaki and Waikato, while a third company, Trans-Tasman Resources, holds two licences… Another mining analyst said: “The whole process is a lot further advanced than many Kiwis think, and it is in areas available for exploration now.” The west coasts of both islands are being targeted, with almost the entire North Island west coast now under prospecting permits. The permits run for up to five years. During that time, the mining companies will be mapping sea beds
and taking samples … If they decide to mine, they will then have to apply for mining licences and go through extensive resource consent processes…”
33)September 24, 2009: Prime Minister John Key meets with Douglas A. Johonson in New York, a Bank of America trader who deals in New Zealand company stocks on the first floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
www.zimbio.com/pictures/f8RtZsKFulj/New=Zealand=Prime=Minister=Visits
34) January 31, 2010: In the Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament: Summary of annual returns as at 31 January 2010, Forty-ninth Parliament, Hon John Key declares he has Interests in Bank of America, and beneficial interests in Aldgate Trust (blind trust).
www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/FinInterests/8/c/3/00CLOOCMPPFinINte
35) February, 2010: First coal export shipment from Pike River Coal is made.
36)March 22, 2010: Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson and Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee then release a discussion paper, Maximising our Mineral Wealth – Stocktake of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act and Beyond proposing to allow mining in high-value conservation land in national conservation parks and other protected areas throughout the country – with submissions from the public to close at 5.00pm on May 4, 2010.
37)April 5, 2010: The Upper Big Branch Mine methane explosion occurs in West Virginia in the U.S. killing exactly 29 miners out of a total 31, (at the same time in the afternoon, as the 29 miners out of 31 were killed on November 19, 2010, by an identical methane gas explosion at Pike River Coal in New Zealand). Most of the major shareholders of Massey Energy that own the Upper Big Branch Mine are the same controlling shareholders of New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd that are the controlling shareholders of Pike River Coal Ltd. Following the disaster at Upper Big Branch Mine, a number of patriotic organizations called on Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship to be arrested and charged with first degree murder.  www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/04/group-calls-arrest-west-virginia-ceo/
38)May 24, 2010: Bathurst Resources finalizes purchase terms for the Buller Project, and in their 2010 ASX Announcements on their website [PDF File: May 24, 2010, Bathurst Finalises Purchase Terms for Buller Project] state, “In addition over the last 3 months, Bathurst’s confidence in the investment merits of Buller Project has
been improved by: Supportive discussions with various New Zealand Government authorities and service providers.”
39) May 28, 2010: The Standard publishes an article, “Key attempts misdirection, blind trust questions remain unanswered” about Key’s “Whitechapel” assets hidden in his blind trust “Algate.”
40)June 11, 2010: Bathurst signs the Buller Purchase Agreement. See: 2010 ASX Announcements: [Bathurst website PDF FILE: June 11, 2010, Announces A$16M Placement – Signs Buller Purchase Agreement].

41) June 19, 2010: Bathurst Resources announces it is planning to invest $US60 million in development of a new coalmine in New Zealand, involving two companies, Bathurst Resources Ltd and L&M Coal Ltd a subsidiary of L&M Energy.
42)June 28, 2010: In Bathurst’s 2010 ASX Announcements, [Bathurst website PDF File: June 28, 2010; Mining Approval Received] Bathurst advises the ASX that L&M Coal Ltd has received approval from the NZ Ministry of Economic Development under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 for mining to proceed at the Escarpment at its Buller Coal Project in New Zealand.
43)June 30, 2010: Police commissioner Howard Broad announces that he will not be seeking a second term of office when his term ends in April 2011. Broad was appointed commissioner in 2006 after originally joining the police in 1975. Born in 1957, he joined the police as a cadet and later graduated with a law degree from
Victoria University in Wellington.
44) July 4-11, 2010: The Australian Mining History Association’s 16th Annual Conference is held at Greymouth, New Zealand. It is hosted by Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn who is extremely pro-foreign mining companies, particularly Pike River Coal Ltd and Bathurst Resources Ltd who, with a few other mining
companies have jointly funded and sponsored the conference.
45) July 20, 2010: The Government advises it has received a total of 37,532 submissions on its discussion paper Maximising our Mineral Potential: Stocktake of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act and Beyond, in addition to 5,023 postcards and 4494 emails on the Stocktake of Schedule 4 sent to Prime Minister John Key. Question (1) asked
submitters whether the areas identified in section 7 of the discussion paper should be removed from schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, so that exploration and mining activity could be considered on a case-by-case basis. Almost all submitters responded, and of these, 36,502 or 98% overwhelmingly opposed the removal of all areas identified in section 7 of the discussion paper from Schedule 4 to be opened up for mining. As the result, reluctantly, PM John Key’s Government backed down, announcing on 20 July, 2010, “No areas will be removed from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.” Hence, this created a sharp shock for foreign-owned mining companies, particularly coalmining companies, banks and investors who wanted to close expensive surgical (underground) operations like Pike River Coal and expand the development of “opencast” mines throughout the country which are much more profitable.
46)August 18, 2010: Bathurst Resources Ltd then issues an Investor Presentation in which they state under Section 4 – Development Plan that they have received “Positive indications from local government and the local community.”
They also note in this section that although the Mining Lease and Exploration License Extension has been granted, the OIO approval, Access Arrangement (DOC), and Environmental Consents are still pending. [Bathurst website PDF File: Aug 18, 2010, Investor Presentation].
47)September, 2010: After 98% of New Zealand public submissions have indicated (see: #45) July 20, 2010) that the nation does not want mining in national conservation parks, or land transferred out of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, or want the foreshore or seabed transferred out of Crown ownership to the indigenous Maori, (or indeed, anybody else), the Government under PM John Key unveils his Government’s proposed new Common Marine and Coastal Area Bill which aims to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 – and proposes to transfer (privatize) the foreshore and seabed to native Maori to allow foreign banks and mining companies to come into the country and monopolize the country’s rich mineral resources.
48)September 10, 2010: The Pike River Coal Ltd Board, unexpectedly and without further explanation, advises that Gordon Ward, who has been CEO and Managing Director of the company since May 2007, and has led Pike River from its initial conceptual design for 14 years through to the company’s second coal export shipment in September 2010, will leave Pike River in three weeks with effect October 1, 2010. Prior to his position with Pike River Coal, Gordon A. Ward BBS, CA (NZ), was Finance Manager of New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd (the controlling shareholder of Pike River Coal Ltd). Mr. Ward joined New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd’s Wellington office in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University Palmerston North, and obtained his CA qualification whilst a Senior Auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers, later to become the Receivers of Pike River Coal Ltd. This author is yet to hear anything of his actions after his suspicious, abrupt resignation and departure from Pike River Coal Ltd on October 1, 2010!
49)September 30, 2010: The New Zealand Government’s proposed changes to the Crown Minerals Act and the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 have not even been debated or approved by Parliament, yet Bathurst issues another Investor Presentation noting in Section 4: Development Plan (p.12) under “Environmental Consent the next milestone” that they have, “positive indications from local government,” and the “local community shows strong support” “with final submissions due in September 2010.” In this section they also confirm that although the Access Arrangement (DOC) is pending, their application has been lodged and “approval is expected Oct 2010.” They also note their Environmental Consent is pending however, their “application has been lodged and approval expected before Dec 2010.” In this presentation, under “Reasons to Invest” they note the project offers “low operating costs, low capital expenditure requirements, much of port and rail infrastructure in place, staged purchase payments to de-risk acquisition and additional development potential.” In their Appendix – Consultants they note that their Accounting and Tax agent is PricewaterhouseCoopers [Bathurst website PDF File: Sept 30, 2010, Investor Presentation]. (that later is to become the receiver of Pike River Coal Ltd.)
50)October 1, 2010: Peter Whittall is quickly appointed to the position of CEO by the Pike River Coal Ltd Board. Prior to this he was Pike’s General Manager Mines, a position he held since joining the company in 2005. During this time with the company he was responsible for all operational aspects of the business including mine design and development, the essential areas of safety and environment and issues of coal marketing and capital raising. Previously he was manager of underground coal mines for BHP Billiton in NSW. He holds a Bachelor ofEngineering (Mining) and a Masters of Business Administration.
51) Mid-October, 2010: COMPANY FAILING: Almost immediately after CEO Gordon Ward has resigned, and the Board has replaced him with Peter Whittall, a short time later the new CEO Peter Whittall announces he has reluctantly been forced to halve production forecasts for the June 2011 year to between 320,000 and 360,000 tonnes. The Sunday Star-Times also reports that Pike River Coal “had recorded cumulative net losses after tax for the period July 2006 to June 2010 totaling $NZ54.1 million.” In Pike River Coal’s 2010 Annual Report, as of September 2010, the company had made only two very small shipments of coal, one of 20,000 tonnes and the second
of 22,000 tonnes, with a total value of $NZ9 million. In short, the company was failing.

52)October 5, 2010: Immediately after Gordon Ward resigns from Pike River Coal and is replaced by Peter Whittall who announces the company is in serious financial difficulties, Bathurst Resources Ltd then announces it is raising another $A110 million. See Bathurst website “Announcements” – [Bathurst website PDF File: Oct 5, 2010, Bathurst Announces A$110 Million Equity Raising]
53)October 11, 2010: Shortly after these events between October 1st and October 5th, on October 11th the New Zealand Government under Hon PM John Key grants approval for Bathurst Resources to purchase Buller Coal. [Bathurst website PDF File: Oct 11, 2010, Government Approvals for Acquisition of Buller Coal].
54) October 14, 2010: Then only three days later, NZ PM John Key’s former employer in whom he still has investment interests, Merrill Lynch International (based in London), Merrill Lynch International (Australia) Futures Ltd (Sydney), Merrill Lynch (Australia) Ltd (Sydney), Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (New York, USA), Bank of America Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina, USA) begin aggressively buying up shares in Bathurst Resources Ltd increasing voting power to 8.20%. [Bathurst website PDF Files (2): Oct 14, 2010, Change in
Substantial Holding].
55)October 15, 2010: Then, a day later, none other than L1 Capital Pty Ltd of Level 5, 101 Collins Street, Melbourne, commences aggressively buying up shares in Bathurst Resources Ltd as well on behalf of National Nominees Ltd, (who just happen to be major shareholders in New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd [5.76%] and BNZ/ National Australia Bank [11.98%]) State Street Australia Ltd, Cogent Nominees Ltd and JP Morgan Nominees Australia Ltd (also major shareholders in New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd [0.65%] and BNZ/National Australia Bank [10.32%]) between October 5
– 13 October 2010 – increase its voting power to 7.09%. [Bathurst website PDF File: Oct 15, 2010, Becoming a Substantial Holder] – we remember, New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd is the controlling shareholder of Pike River Coal Ltd as well.
56) October 20, 2010: Bank of America Corporation continues to buy up more shares in Bathurst Resources Ltd increasing its shareholding voting power to 10.7%. [Bathurst website PDF File: Oct 20, 2010, Change in Substantial Holding].
57)October 28, 2010: Bank of America Corporation buys up more shares in Bathurst Resources Ltd increasing its shareholding voting power to 11.96%. [Bathurst website PDF File: Oct 28, 2010, Change in Substantial Holding].
58)November 1, 2010: Bank of America Corporation buys up more shares in Bathurst Resources Ltd increasing its shareholding voting power to 13.31%. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 1, 2010, Change in Substantial Holding].
59)November 8, 2010: JP Morgan Chase & Co (Columbus, Ohio, USA), and its affiliates (JF Asset Management Ltd, JP Morgan Asset Management UK), increase their shareholding in Bathurst Resources Ltd giving them a total shareholding voting power of 5.27%. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 10, 2010, Becoming a Substantial
Shareholder].
60)November 8, 2010: Bathurst Resources Ltd completes its $76 Million Placement. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 8, 2010, Completion of $76 million Placement and Appendix 3B].
61)November 9, 2010: Bathurst Resources Ltd completes its Acquisition of the Buller Coal Project. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 9, 2010, Acquisition of Buller Coal Project Completed].
62)November 15, 2010: Bathurst Resources Ltd announces it is to purchase Galilee Energy Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of Eastern Resources Group Ltd (which presently controls much of the existing coal output from Westland).

63) November 16, 2010: Bank of America Corporation further increases its shareholding and voting power in Bathurst to 14.06%. [Bathurst website PDF File: November16, 2010, Change in Substantial Holding].
64)November 19, 2010: EXPLOSION: According to news reports, the giant methane explosion in the Pike River mine occurred around 3.15pm – 3.30pm on Friday, 19 November 2010. The first reports of an explosion were at 3.45pm and the management was not even aware that there had been an explosion until around 3.45pm. Not long after this, later in Friday afternoon, the NZ Police were brought in and took control treating the whole mine site as a crime scene quarantining the entire area including the air space above it. A total of 29 men were presumed dead.
Following this there were more explosions and a fire. Under police control, no rescue attempt was ever made. No investigation was ever made into the causes of the explosion or disaster, or the individuals likely to be responsible for it – although the whole site from the very beginning was rigidly treated as a major crime scene.

Inshort, it was a complete cover-up by police. A timeline of the “finer details” of events from the time of the explosion forwards up to Wednesday, November 24, 2010, is:

www.stuff.co.nz/national/4368031/Mine-explosion-timeline
65)November 19, 2010: Four Directors of Bathurst Resources Ltd (Hamish John Lindsey Bohannan, Craig Rennie Munro, Gerald William Cooper and Rob Lord) issue Change of Director’s Interest Notice dramatically increasing their
shareholdings or unlisted share purchase options. Managing Director Hamish Bohannan (and Julie Bohannan) increase their shareholding in fully paid ordinary shares by 1,000,000 to 9,670,658, plus 5,000,000 unlisted options exercisable at .40cents each expiring 31 December 2013 are added to their other generous existing options. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 19, 2010, Change in Director’s Interest x 4].
66)November 29, 2010: FIRE FROM VENTILATION SHAFT (see other dates as well). Exclusive news video footage, shot from a helicopter, is broadcast live to the world of a supposedly “raging coal fire” blasting out of the Pike River mine 110 meter deep ventilation shaft.
See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqB6YBUhLJw
www.nzherald.co.nz/news/print.cfm?objectid=10690980
This author has studied this and other video footage of the event with international coal mining, gas and oil industry experts. All of whom conclude that the flames and smoke leaping from the top of the 110 meter ventilation shaft on the video clip CANNOT possibly be coming from burning coal at all (more than 110 meters below), or methane gas as the police and media deceptively claim. Coal and methane burns considerably cleaner with different colored flame and smoke and would not at all be in such high concentrations burning right at the top of the shaft (driven through hard rock) at such a huge intensity – irrespective of whether the main portal entrance to the access tunnel is open or not. The conclusion is that the fire on the video is a total deception and giant cover-up. It is probably coming from a 45 gallon drum (with its lid cut off) or some similar receptacle, circular deep dish or steel pot, carefully positioned inside the top of the shaft full of a diesel/fuel oil mixture or some similar accelerant mixture, to simulate burning coal or methane gas, which has been set alight to give the impression that the mine is spectacularly on fire when really it is not. Since this event has been cleverly orchestrated while the police have been in exclusive control and have quarantined the mine site completely, the Prime Minister, the Police Minister, Commissioner of Police and Superintendent Gary Knowles must therefore know what has been done and must therefore be charged forthis heinous act and offence accordingly.
67) November 29, 2010: Prime Minister John Key announces that Cabinet has agreed to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Pike River tragedy, chaired by Justice Graham Panckhurst, a sitting High Court judge, and two other Commissioners with relevant expertise in mining and safety regulation will be appointed. Like all well-
known Commonwealth commissions of inquiry, it is designed to be a whitewash and a cover-up of government/corporate crime.
68) November 29, 2010: Bank of America purchases more shares [Bathurst website
PDF File: Nov 30, 2010, Change in Substantial Holding].
69) November 29, 2010: Bathurst Resources 2010 Annual General Meeting Chairman’s Address in Sydney is given by Craig Munro. [Bathurst website PDF File: Nov 29, 2010, Chairman’s Address to Shareholders]. During his address he said, “We recently acquired the Buller Project on the west coast of New Zealand’s south island – one of the most exciting projects I have been involved with in my many years experience in the mining industry… The Buller field is one of the country’s most significant fields, accounting for approximately half of New Zealand’s coking coal…
We very recently entered into an agreement to acquire the Galilee project for $35 million – a project of strategic importance owing not only to its location in the middle of our Buller leases and its contribution to our resource base, but for its immediate ability to provide an operating business and positive cash flow… Our ASX share price has risen from less than 10cents at the beginning of 2010 to around 60cents today. Our market capitalization now stands at over $350 million, and I believe will put us close to being in the ASX top 300 companies. Today we commence our first full week as a dual listed company, having successfully listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange last Friday…As 2010 draws to a close, we look forward with anticipation to another exciting year in 2011, as the Buller project moves toward production. To this end: We are well advanced in gaining regulatory approvals from government. We expect to be able to announce, in the very near future, offtake agreements and offtake finance agreements with major corporations. Our drill programs will look to further extending project reserves and demonstrate a 60-90 million tonne exploration target, and we anticipate commencement of production from the Escarpment block at Buller in Q4 2011.” At this point Bathurst have now gained a FOREIGN majority control of all New Zealand’s West Coast
high quality coal tenements, with the exception of Solid Energy’s Stockton open-cut mining operation and Pike River Coal.
70)December 7, 2010: The flames which were coming from the Pike River mine ventilation shaft are no longer visible. Police Superintendent Knowles said, “We will keep running the GAG (Gorniczy Agregat Gasniczy) machine.

If we can get the capon this, it will help the GAG in putting out the fire inside the mine.”
71)December 9, 2010: On December 9, 2010, Bathurst Resources Ltd Managing Director Hamish Bohannan announced the company’s BULLER COAL OFFTAKE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING with Stemcor Australia Pty Ltd (“Stemcor” an acronym for STEel Marketing CORporation) a subsidiary of Stemcor Holdings Ltd for the sale of coal from the Buller Project in New Zealand. Mr. Bohannan explains in Bathurst’s announcement document; “About Stemcor: …Stemcor was formed in London in 1951 and is a privately owned company. The majority of shares are held by the Oppenheimer family, represented on the Board by Ralph Oppenheimer (Executive Chairman) and Philip Edmonds (Deputy Chairman), with the balance of the shares held by employees.” [Bathurst website PDF File:
December 9, 2010, Buller Coal Offtake Memorandum of Understanding]. On December 13, 2010, in a short article about this off-take agreement between the two companies,
www.azomining.com/Details.asp?newsID=2047 the authors write, “The Australian company has now signed up the steel trader Stemcor Australia as a customer. Stemcor will also be providing finance for the coal project. It will provide $50 million by way of a finance facility.” So why did Mr Hamish Bohannan choose Stemcor for this exclusive agency agreement? Well, Mr Bohannan started off as a miner working for Goldfields in South Africa (based in London), one of the family firms owned by Harry Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer family. In 1987 Goldfields held a 49% stake in Peabody Coal, (now the U.S.’s largest coal producer and one of the two biggest coal companies currently accused of providing donations and bribes to the majority of U.S politicians).
(see: www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Coal_money_in_politics
Atthe same time Goldfields also held a 26.2% stake in Newmont Mining Corp, in which John Dow was previously Chairman and Managing Director in Australia – before he became Chairman of Pike River Coal Ltd in New Zealand. Mr. Hamish Bohannan has also previously held an executive position with WMC (formerly called Western Mining Corporation) one of Australia’s multinational mining giants taken over by BHP Billiton. In 1930, through New Consolidated Goldfields Ltd South Africa, Oppenheimer took a 60% shareholding in Gold Mines of Australia which
later became Western Mining Corporation which later came to be called WMC. Interestingly, the list of the top 20 shareholders in Western Mining Corporation (as at 31 January 2000) http://www.sea-us.org.au/roxby/fla.html were the same biggest shareholders in New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd, the controlling shareholder of Pike River Coal Ltd.
Both Managing Director and CEO of Bathurst Resources Hamish Bohannan and Chairman of Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (TTR) Bill W. Bisset (TTR is the company that plans to build the giant steel mill, titanium and vanadium operation in the North Island of New Zealand exploiting the rich iron sands on the west coast and running the mill with coking coal from the South Island West Coast region provided by Bathurst Resources) previously were executives of ILUKA. This company is a major player in the global mineral sands industry. It is the largest producer of zircon in the
world, with an approximate market share of one third, and is the second largest producer of titanium dioxide minerals. Outside of the core mineral sands business, Iluka has a royalty over iron ore sales revenues from specific tenements of BHP Billiton’s Mining Area C (MAC) province in the north west of Western Australia, and in the future is a likely candidate to be chosen for exploiting New Zealand’s vast iron sand and titanium resources. Both the current Chairman of Iluka George John Pizzey was formerly a Director of WMC Resources Ltd, and Chairman of Iluka’s Audit and Risk Committee Donald Marshall Morley was formerly the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of WMC Ltd controlled by the London Oppenheimer family. Many of the largest shareholders in Iluka are also the same as the largest shareholders of New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd, the controlling shareholder of Pike River Coal Ltd. A.
Geoffrey Loudon Chairman of L&M Energy and L&M Coal, (companies that are now cross shareholders in Bathurst Resources Ltd) is also Chairman of Nautilus Minerals whose three largest shareholders include giant mining company Anglo American (11.1%) controlled by the Oppenheimer family. Sir Ernest Oppenheimer founded Anglo American Corporation with JP Morgan in 1917, and today his great- grandson Nicky Oppenheimer is still a director. He is also Chairman of De Beers, the giant diamond mining company founded in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes, Bernard and Ernest Oppenheimer and the Rothschild family, which today employs over 20,000 people and still monopolizes the global diamond and precious metal markets. Today Oppenheimer / De Beers related companies control an estimated 1300 of the biggest companies and over a third of the entire commerce in South Africa. Until 2002, for a number of years Mike Oppenheimer was BHP Billiton Energy Coal president. Anglo American is also heavily funded by Barclays, BNP Parabas and Royal Bank of Scotland in which Oppenheimer and Rothschild have controlling interests. BNP
Parabas is also a major shareholder in Massey Energy Company that owns Performance Coal Company Ltd whose Chairman and CEO Don L. Blankenship was accused for murdering the 29 miners on April 5, 2010, at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia U.S.A. [Of note, Blankenship’s remuneration in 2005 was $US28,834,719, 2006 – $US5,328,422, 2007 – $US9,361,000, 2008 – $US11,020,991, and 2009 – $US17,835,837. During this five year period he was paid a total remuneration package of exactly $US72,380,969].
See:www.insiders.morningstar.com/trading/executive-compensation.action? t=MEE&regio

Similarly, Peter Whittall, the CEO of Pike River Coal Ltd who with the directors of the company was allegedly responsible for killing the 29 miners at Pike River Mine on November 19, 2010, previously worked for BHP Billiton largely controlled by the same Oppenheimer family.
See:  www.iluka.com/?page=ourbusiness click on: PDF 25 November, 2010, Form 604 – Notice of Change of Interests of Substantial Holder for list of shareholders. On June 25, 2005, Western Mining Corporation Ltd (WMC) was taken over by BHP Billiton, now controlled from London by both the Oppenheimer and Rothschild families. Today BHP Billiton is the world’s largest mining company by revenues. Again, the major shareholders in BHP Billiton are the same as the controlling shareholders of New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd. see:

www.bhpbilliton.com/annualreports2008/2008-business-review-and-annual-rep
72)December 12, 2010: The ventilation shaft at the Pike River Coal mine is capped.
A helicopter operation sees two 770kg semi-circular steel plates fitted into place over the ventilation shaft, secured with sand-bags… Police reassured families of the dead men that they would be based in Greymouth for the next 12 months, providing welfare support and co-ordination as well as investigating the deaths.

tvnz.co.nz/national-news/pike-river-mine-shaft-finally-capped-3963573
73)December 13, 2010: Pike River Coal Ltd Chairman, John Dow, advises that New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd (NZOG), Pike River Coal Ltd’s controlling shareholder, has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as receivers at the request of the Board of Pike River Coal Ltd. The receivers are partners from PricewaterhouseCoopers, John Fisk, David Bridgman and Malcolm Hollis. Mr. Gordon Ward, Pike River Coal Ltd’s CEO up to October 1, 2010, prior to his role as Finance Manager for New Zealand Oil & Gas was previously a Senior Auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Coincidentally, Don L. Blankenship CEO of Massey Energy owner of the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia where 29 miners were killed on April 5, 2010, sat on the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with Dennis M. Nally Head of United States Operations of PricewaterhouseCoopers Ci, LLp. from December 1 2005 to July 1 2009. PricewaterhouseCoopers are also Australian-based Bathurst Resources Ltd accountants and tax advisers as well. Founded in 1849, headquartered in London, PwC is the world’s second-largest professional services firm, with offices in 757 cities, across 154 countries employing 162,000 people. It had revenues of $26.6 billion in 2010. The legal structure of a limited liability partnership under which PwC operates is very different from that of a corporation, and as such PwC is a collection of member firms, that are run autonomously in their various jurisdictions to oversee City of London Corporation accountancy global control. The senior partners of member firms sit on a global board of partners based in London called PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, which largely coordinates the accounting activities of many of the world’s biggest companies. While PwC publicly claims to have a high integrity and an anticorruption focus, PwC has been involved in a number of accounting fraud cases, good examples being: In July 2007, PwC agreed to pay $US229 million in settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought by shareholders of Tyco International Ltd over a multibillion dollar accounting fraud. In recent times PwC has been involved in assisting the Russian government in “cooking the books” to convict Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev for tax evasion
in relation to Yukos. The Russian Federation indicated that about $US4 billion of the $US13 billion estimated to construct the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline by Transneft was stolen and covered up by PwC. In 2007 – 2008 the Reserve Bank of India banned PwC from auditing any financial company for over a year. In July 2009, the Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board, which regulates the profession in the UK, announced an inquiry into PwC’s auditing of Cattles, the struggling sub-prime lender that failed to keep track of its bad debts.
74) December 15, 2010: On December 15, the receiver, PwC, announces that about 114 of 157 employees of Pike River Coal Ltd would be made redundant immediately.
75)December 17, 2010: (See: website – Google-search: “Friday roundup, Dec.17, 2010 – Coal Tattoo”) – Author Ken Ward Jr. writes: “According to the Website of 3News which produced the story: Brent Foster an Australian miner who has worked at Pike River before told 60 Minutes he saw flames break out at the coalface and that a procedure called ‘stone dusting’ – applying lime to surfaces to control coal dust – was not done at the mine. The flames Mr. Foster saw are known in the industry as ‘ignitions’ and are treated extremely seriously. Pike River Coal has confirmed the
fire was part of a series of ignitions and a number of remedial actions were taken, in consultation with the mine inspector. The company has also confirmed it was issued with a notification in August about the lack of a stone dusting plan. Pike River says a plan was then implemented and a follow-up inspection in October did not mention
stone dusting. In November, just before the explosion, there was monitoring of the stone dusting and sampling was due to be carried out on the Monday, three days after the mine blew up…”
Ken Ward Jr. continues his Friday roundup; “Meanwhile, I wanted to be sure to point out a story by Chris Maher of the Wall Street Journal titled, Dead miners’ Kin wrestle with choice to sue or settle: Nine months after the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in 40 years, most of the 29 families who lost a father, son or brother at Massey’s Upper
Big Branch mine, in Montcoal, W.Va., are torn over whether to accept Massey’s $3 million settlement offer or to file suit. The decision has split some families. Seven widows or close relatives have accepted settlement offers, but only three agreements have been finalized… Most, if not all, of the families have retained lawyers and are awaiting the outcomes of federal and state investigations into the accident to see if the company is held responsible… They (Massey Energy) agreed that it was unlikely any of the 29 workers had survived. Then they decided to make a settlement offer of $3 million to each deceased miner’s family to help them financially and head off a wave of litigation, according to people familiar with the matter…Executive Officer Don Blankenchip will retire Dec. 31…” Talks with International Coal commenced to sell the company.
76)January 14, 2011: Obviously becoming suspicious of possible “insider trading” in Bathurst shares, Mr. Cameron Bill, Adviser, Listings (Perth), ASX Compliance Pty Ltd, writes to Mr. Tim Manners, Company Secretary, Bathurst Resources Ltd, Perth, with “PRICE AND VOLUME QUERY,” noting: “We have noted a change in the price of the Company’s securities from $A0.82.5 cents yesterday to a high of $A0.91 cents on that day and $A0.90 cents today. We have also noted an increase in the volume of trading in the securities over this period. In the light of the price and
volume change, please respond to each of the following questions:
1) Is the Company aware of any information concerning it that has not been announced which, if known, could be an explanation for recent trading in the securities of the Company?
Please note that as recent trading in the Company’s securities could indicate that information has ceased to be confidential, the Company is unable to rely on the exceptions to listing rule 3.1 contained in the listing rule 3.1A when answering this question.
2) If the answer to question 1 is yes, can an announcement be made immediately? If not, why not and when is it expected that an announcement will be made?
Please note, if the answer to question 1 is yes and an announcement cannot be made immediately, you need to contact us to discuss this and you need to consider a trading halt (see below).
3) Is there any other explanation that the Company may have for the price and volume change in the securities of the company? …
Listing rule 3.1:
Listing rule 3.1 requires an entity to give ASX immediately any information concerning it that a reasonable person would expect to have a material effect on the price and value of the entity’s securities. The exceptions to this requirement are set out in listing rule 3.1A.” … etc.
77)January 14, 2011: In response to the Australian Stock Exchange Listing Adviser Mr. Cameron Bill’s query of January 14th, Mr. Tim Manners, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Bathurst Resources Ltd replies: “…

1) The Company isnot aware of any information that has not been announced, which if known, could
be an explanation for the recent trading in the securities of the Company.

2) Not applicable.

3) The Company does not have any other explanation as to why there has been an increase in the price and volume of trading in the securities of the Company. However, the Company does note that recently there have been strong rises in the price of premium hard coking coal and a continuing growing interest in the metallurgical coal market in general.

4) The Company confirms that it is in compliance with the listing rules, in particular Listing Rule 3.1.” [Bathurst website PDF File: Jan 14, 2011, Response to ASX Query].
78) January, 2011: On January 3, 2011, Bespoke Investment Group published their 2010 Country Stock Market Performance statistics for the year 2010. These statistics showed the average increase / decrease in the value of all shares on the Australian Stock Market during 2010 was minus 2.5%.
www.bespokeinvest.com/thinkbug/2011/1/3/final-2010-global-market-perform…

In New Zealand the figure was plus 2.44%. In sharp contrast, Bathurst Resources Ltd shares rose from less than $A0.10 cents at the beginning of the year in 2010 to $A0.91 cents a share on January 13, 2011 – an increase in excess of over 800%! – without generating even one dollar of profit! According to

www.canalyst.com/2011/01/best-performing-us-listed-international-stocks-in- out of 799 leading global stocks the two highest performing U.S.-listed International stocks in 2010 were China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources Inc. (AMEX:SHZ) – China with an annual increase of 1083.1%, and RADCOM Ltd (NASDAQ:RDCM) – Israel with an annual increase of 559.9%. Because Bathurst Resources Ltd is not listed on the U.S. exchanges it was not mentioned. However, had it been, it would have come off globally in second place! But unlike China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources that reported a 600% increase in gross profit in the third quarter of 2010 as compared to the same period in 2009, Bathurst has yet to show one dollar of profit! The truth is Bathurst’s spectacular rise in value can only be attributed to frantic “insider trading” based upon covert decisions yet to be announced between Bathurst and the New Zealand Government – headed by Hon. PM John Key himself – allegedly to surreptitiously transfer, (against overwhelming public opposition) land from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act out of national conservation parks to foreign companies and banks for “open-cast” mining. Over the past twelve months, allegedly, the Prime
Minister and his associates, with foreign banking investors in Bathurst as the result of this frantic “insider trading” have simply made “astronomical sums of money” in profits without having even put a shovel in the ground – and yet they still stand to make even more enormous profits in the future as they exploit the country’s precious national mineral and coal resources for themselves – while they treat the rest of the general population of New Zealand with utter contempt. While acting as if the general population is nothing more than a miserable pack of low-life simpletons and degenerate fools ripe for being so easily led and ripped off – the collusion between this small elect group of traitors in the government, these corporate leeches and banking parasites, shows no signs of letting off in spite of the mine explosion crisis.
One cannot imagine such a blatant abuse of executive power – ever!
79) January 14, 2011: An article published by The Press entitled, PM: Pike River mine to be sealed said, “Pike River Mine Committee spokesperson Bernie Monk, who lost his 23-year-old son Michael in the explosion on November 19, told The Press the decision to seal the mine was a “bloody disgrace.” Monk said he was upset that Prime Minister John Key appeared to back the move. “To hell with him and what he says. I reckon he is letting New Zealand down here,” Monk said. At a media conference today Key indicated the mine would probably be sealed. “It is likely that
the mine would be sealed, but it would be up to the receivers if it would be sealed permanently,” Key said. This comment was made in response to last night’s police announcement that the Pike River recovery mission was going to be abandoned. Monk said the 29 families had not been told the mine would be sealed and he said he heard the news from people on the street in Greymouth. “No one has told me that the mine is going to be sealed. As the head of the families I have not been told and it is terrible the way they have treated us,” he said. “Is John Key a law unto himself
now? Don’t you think he should have got in touch with the families? He made this decision without speaking to us and it is a bloody disgrace,” he said. “It is a sad day for New Zealand the way they have treated us and I am taking this matter further. I am not finished yet…”

Key denied he had promised family members the miner’s remains would be recovered… Earlier today, Pike River receivers said the “hard reality’ was that if there wasn’t enough money to get back into the mine, the land
would be handed back to the Government. John Fisk, of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said the receivers had about $10 million in cash, plus a number of assets above the ground and in the mine itself… If there’s not enough money to get back into the mine then the hard reality is we will just have to hand back to DOC [the Department of Conservation]… Tasman Police District Superintendent Gary Knowles, who led the rescue effort, said today that “there comes a time when you have to put a stake in the sand and it has come to this point.” “If you cannot go into the mine then you have to accept reality.” The risk posed by putting rescue staff into the incredibly hot, wet and unstable mine was simply not practicable, he said.”
80) January 15, 2011: A Press Release by the Pike River Families Committee published by Scoop News entitled, Pike River Mine Stable say Families said, “The families through their Counsel have consulted Mr. Harry Bell former Chief Inspector of Mines regarding the decision taken by the Government to seal the mine. He confirms what the families have understood from the information obtained by them, namely that there is a stable atmosphere environment now achieved which is likely to be sustained. The families believe the Mines Rescue Trust would share the same view.
This is further evidence that the decision taken to seal the mine is flawed and must be revisited. The families will continue with expert advice to evaluate the situation hour by hour.”
81)January 18, 2011: The New Zealand Herald page A3 reports, “The Receivers – partners from PricewaterhouseCoopers – met families of the victims to tell them a stabilization plan had been given to police. In a statement last night, they said if the mine was able to be stabilized, “considerable additional analysis” would be required to determine future plans, including whether the mine could be entered or further developed. They said the plan was aimed at establishing a stable atmosphere and did not allow for recovery of the bodies or guarantee the mine’s future. It might take up to two years to re-enter the mine. “The plan envisions a temporary sealing, but one
where it will be possible to get back in,” receiver John Fisk said. He and the other receivers, David Bridgman and Malcolm Hollis said they agreed with the police “that based on the extensive work undertaken to date, it appears that a recovery of the deceased miners is very unlikely”.” The article went on to say “With Pike River Coal in receivership, more than 80 West Coast contractors and suppliers are owed about $8 million dating back to October.”

82)January 18, 2011: Hayden Donnell of The New Zealand Herald reports in an article entitled Govt. denies Pike River cover-up: “The father of a miner who died at Pike River has accused police and the Government of withholding information that shows bodies may be recovered intact from the explosion-hit coal mine. But Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says no information is being withheld and multiple mining experts have said Pike River is not safe to enter … Bernie Monk, father of lost miner Michael Monk, says … “I don’t think anyone’s been honest with us up till now. Liaison between police and families has been nil… We know the mine’s in a stable position. We know the gas levels are safe enough to go in. The biggest thing now is covering the safety aspects…” Police have said they are abandoning their recovery operation at Pike River.”
www.nzherald.co.nz/news/print.cfm?objectid=10700418
83) January 19, 2011: Bathurst Resources Ltd report on their website

www.bathurstresources.com/ as at 2.10pm (EST) 19th January their BTU Share Price is now $A0.970.
84) anuary 19, 2011: Dan Parker of National 3News writes, “Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope will join his boss Howard Broad retiring in April 2011… “Many people are going to find it unbelievable, but I think the timing of Rob
Pope’s non-appointment or retirement is purely coincidentally with the report coming out,” says Police Association President Greg O’Connor… Mr. Pope served for 36 years, and now says he’s seeking other career opportunities.”
www.3news.co.nz/Police-Assn-Timing-on-Pope-resignation-coincidence/tabid/
85) January 21, 2011: Bathurst Resources Limited in their Annual Report 2010 advised: “At the date of this report there are 43,723,108 unissued shares under option outstanding” (last date granted 30 August 2010) – an enormous amount! – “the Group’s “consolidated net loss for the year ended 30 June, 2010, was $9,272,688 and to 30 June, 2009, the consolidated net loss was $A12,200,792.”
www.bathurstresources.com/Investor-Information/Financial-Reports/Annual-Re

Yet amazingly, Bathurst Resources Ltd reports on their website as at 2.11pm (EST) 21th January, 2011, their BTU Share Price is now $A1.040 – now well over 900% higher than it was at the same time in 2010 (the second fastest rising share in the world at present as far as this author is aware) while the company been showing large recurring losses and has not yet even shown one dollar of profit! – while the average performance for all Australian stocks including mining companies during 2010 was minus 2.5%!

Clearly, a very elect group of both local and global, corrupt, treacherous, corporate individuals, self-serving bankers and government officials, allegedly headed by the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key with his blind trust and associates at Bank of America and elsewhere, have collectively made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits in the past few months (and in the future will stand to make billions) at the expense of everybody else – out of the very worst excesses of blatant “insider trading” imaginable in Bathurst Resources Ltd and associated company shares –
largely centralized around the callous plot carried out to cold-bloodedly murder 29 innocent men at Pike River Coal on November 19, 2010. Surely, it is long past the stage that ordinary, hard-working members of the general public, (many of whom are often now just struggling to simply to pay for their weekly rent or grocery bill), both in New Zealand and elsewhere globally, woke up to this fraudulent scam, (which unfortunately, is also now being widely replicated in other countries as well) – and rounded up these self-serving corporate criminals and banking parasites and brought them all to account – forthwith!

In conclusion, perhaps the best final word to this widespread tragic saga of unrelenting greed, corruption and callous murder, can best be articulated not by this author, but by the impassioned pleas of others:

•A local indigenous Maori lady phoned a New Zealand radio talk-back show in mid-January 2011 discussing the Pike River tragedy and in her own, unrefined way, perceptively said:

“You know, there’s something mighty fishy about what the media is telling us all about this B/S at Pike River Mine. Why has nobody been charged? You know. Just as they killed those guys and they have now sealed the mine up and buried them forever – if we, as a people, don’t do something about it – before long – they are going tobury us all too!”

•
The Roman historian Tacitus (AD56-AD117) over 2,000 years ago, angrily said:

“They have plundered the world, stripping naked the land in their hunger … they are driven by greed, if their enemy be rich; by ambition, if poor … They ravage, they slaughter, they seize by false pretenses, and all of this they hail as the construction of empire. And when in their wake nothing remains but a desert, they call that peace.”

• The profoundly sensitive, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)discerningly wrote:

“The greed of gain has no time or limit to its capaciousness. Its one object is to produce and consume. It has pity neither for beautiful nature nor for living human beings. It is ruthlessly ready without a moment’s hesitation to crush beauty and life out of them, molding them into money.”

•The eloquent Roman statesman, philosopher and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43BC), gave an impassioned speech to the fascist Roman Senate of his day in 58BC, and movingly said:

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears no traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of the nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infests the body politic so that it can no longer resist.

A murderer is less to fear.
The traitor is the plague.”

~ oooOooo~