10. Pike River Mine Disaster—Video Footage and Release of Information to Victims' FamiliesHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Labour—West Coast—Tasman) to the Prime MinisterPike River Mine Disaster—Video Footage and Release of Information to Victims' Families10. Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Labour—West Coast—Tasman) to the Prime Minister: Has he spoken to the responsible Ministers to ensure that no information regarding the Pike River tragedy is being withheld from families?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Foreign Affairs) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes recognising that police do have their own independence but noting that they have released very extensive video footage to the families. Hon Damien O'Connor: Can the Prime Minister confirm that there is an image taken from borehole 47 which has not been officially released to the families that shows an intact body? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No. That would be in footage that would have been released to the families by the police and some media outlets have that footage I understand but have chosen not to use it because the families have asked for a period of time to consider the videos. But there are many many hours of video and I think it is appropriate to respect that for them. I would also point out that the whole of the Pike River incident—the great tragedy that it has been—was the subject of a royal commission of inquiry and that the representation for the families was provided by extremely high-quality legal advice paid for by the Crown. There has been no attempt in my view for the families not to have information. Indeed as the Prime Minister he has made it clear that they should have that information. Hon Damien O'Connor: Why has the Government denied the families' request for new high-definition footage from the boreholes as part of the re-entry programme given the existence of images from these boreholes showing bodies? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As I said before this has been one of New Zealand's worst tragedies and the suggestion that the member makes at the end is one that is subject to some difference of opinion. But there is no holding back of information—no desire to do that. The families have got hours and hours of video footage. They are working through it and I respect the New Zealand media for giving them the time to consider their position on that before there is any further release for public discussion. Remember though that this is video that was all made available to the royal commission some time back. Hon Damien O'Connor: Is the Prime Minister confirming that images from borehole 47 and others that appear to show intact bodies have all been released to the families of the Pike River victims?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: That is the information that I have been provided. It is not footage that the Government itself holds; it is footage that I understand is held by the New Zealand Police that has been released to some media agencies and is available to others—Grant Robertson: To the families?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE —but also released to the families Mr Robertson so that they can have a period of time to view all of that footage and come to their own position on that before there is any wider disclosure. But I would also make it clear that all of that footage was available to the royal commission when it undertook its work some time ago.Hon Damien O'Connor: Will the Prime Minister ask the police his Ministers and all officials to provide any information available to the families of the 29 victims at Pike River mine?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: It is the intention that all Ministers who have a responsibility that they are directly engaged with would do so. Secondly I would make it clear that police do have independent arrangements around these matters but as I said and observed at the start they have released video to the families—hours and hours and hours of video—and the families are taking their time to look through that before there is any further public discussion. But I state again that all of this has been made available to the royal commission which considered all of these matters quite some time ago.