Former Pike River boss Peter Whittall has revealed he doesn't feel guilty over the 2010 tragedy, in which 29 men lost their lives.
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"Do I feel guilt? No. It is human nature to blame someone," he told Stuff.
"It was a terrible tragedy but I would defend my position because I feel I always put the interests of my staff and workforce before everything."
Mr Whittall left New Zealand in 2014 and married Pike River financial controller Angela Horne. The couple now reportedly live in a $1.3 million lifestyle property in Wollongong, south of Sydney, where Mr Whittall manages a rest home.
His comments angered Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the Pike River explosion.
"That makes me bloody angry," she told Stuff.
"For him, he's very lucky to be able to pick up and move on with his life. I've lost my husband, my breadwinner, my soulmate, my true love. I'll never be able to get that back."
Charges against Whittall were laid in 2013, but then dropped after a $3.4 million settlement was paid. However, the Supreme Court has since ruled this settlement was wrong.
An inquiry into the tragedy found that Pike River prioritised production over safety and ignored warnings about dangerous gas levels leading up to the explosion.
In June, leading lawyer Nigel Hampton QC said manslaughter charges could be laid against Mr Whittall as police reopen the investigation.
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Ms Osborne told Stuff Mr Whittall isn't the only one the families of the Pike River victims hold responsible.
"He had a part to play but there are other main managers and Government departments equally responsible, if not more, for those deaths."
Minister for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little has said the re-entry could lead to further criminal investigation.
Newshub.
