Accountability - it's quite a concept

''To this day, we still have no justice, no accountability.''

So said Bernie Monk, whose son Michael lies in the Pike River coal mine with 28 others, this week in the Legislative Council Chamber at Parliament.

You can understand why the resignation of Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson the day the royal commission reported on the disaster does not feel like ''accountability'' to Mr Monk.

It was an unremarkable resignation, so insignificant compared with the event that led to it.

She had been the minister for only a year when the methane explosion happened.

No-one had been baying for her blood in the way that is directed at ministers in trouble such as Judith Collins over Oravida, David Benson-Pope over tennis balls, or Murray McCully over the Saudi sheep deal.

The honorable view is that Ms Wilkinson's resignation was a mark of responsibility for the failures of all former ministers and governments that contributed to the disaster.

She was probably also advised to go before the baying started.

Bernie Monk was at Parliament this week campaigning against the weakening of health and safety legislation, which originally required all workplaces to have a health and safety worker representative if requested.

During select committee deliberations, it dawned on the Government that such reps could give unions a platform to strengthen their membership in small worksites.

So it decided the political dangers of unions regaining a presence in small workplaces outweighed the benefits unions could bring to reducing physical danger in the workplace. It will allow small businesses to opt out - unless they are a really dangerous industry.

In an even more cynical move, dangerous farms have been left off the high-risk industries which will be required to have health and safety risks - by dint of the measure the Government has chosen.

Among the perverse outcomes are that the ''other crop growing'' classification (including growing lavender) with only three deaths in the past five years is deemed to be more dangerous and high-risk than dairy farming which, despite having 39 deaths in the same time period, is not high risk and can opt out of worker representation.

Lavender growers are not as important to National's support base as dairy farmers.

Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse has been assuring Parliament this week that the Bill will lead to a culture change and greater improvement in health and safety.

He may be right but he should be accountable for the results in the way Kate Wilkinson was over Pike River.

If the rate of death or the number of deaths increases in the dairy farming classification or the sheep, beef cattle and grain farming classification, Mr Woodhouse should resign.

In matters of health and safety, life and death, the Government has put political convenience first and it should be accountable if it fails.

Decisions on ministerial accountability usually, but not always, rest with the Prime Minister.

John Key decided Judith Collins' personal dealings with Oravida during a trip to China as Justice Minister did not warrant more than public apologies.

He decided Maurice Williamson's contact with the police over charges against Donghua Liu required his immediate resignation.

And he has decided Mr McCully's sheep deal with a Saudi businessman does not warrant his resignation or for him to stand aside while the Auditor-general conducts an inquiry as the Opposition has demanded.

It is a bit like bail. Not everyone charged with a crime is locked up without bail.

Some are free to go about their daily lives, and especially valuable members of Government.

With some exceptions, most ministers who have stood aside during an inquiry have done so when their personal conduct has been in question and/or the inquiry is being conducted by the police or the Serious Fraud Office, as was the case with Dover Samuels, John Tamihere, David Benson Pope and Winston Peters.

It was not such a huge leap for Labour to demand Mr McCully step down because leader Andrew Little has already demanded his resignation.

Since April, he has called for six ministerial resignations: Simon Bridges over the Northland bridges promises; the minister whose brother is facing criminal charges; Nick Smith after difficulties with Ngati Whatua; Te Ururoa Flavell over claims he may have influenced Maori TV; Sam Lotu-Iiga over t Mt Eden Corrections Facility; and Mr McCully.

Mr Little is in danger of devaluing the importance of ministerial accountability by demanding resignations so often.

• Audrey Young is The New Zealand Herald's political editor.

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