Jonathan Kaur

Jonathan Kaur
Senator for Verdesia-3
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 September 2016
Preceded by	Elat Cosidó
Personal details
Born	(1972-01-06) January 6, 1972 Wescastle, Verdesia, Zamastan
Political party	Blue Conservative Party
Spouse	Marta Rodríguez (m. 2002)
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Verdesia University of Tofino

Jonathan Kaur (born January 6th, 1972) is a Zamastanian politician and businessman serving as the Senator for Verdesia's 3rd district since 2016. Born in Wescastle, Kaur was raised in an affluent family in which his father was the executive of a coal mining conglomerate, Kaur and Desden Company. After attending both the University of Verdesia and the University of Tofino, Kaur took over the company as executive after his father died. Kaur and Desden was sued by the federal government in 2003 for a mine collapse which killed 18. In 2006, Kaur entered local politics in his home province and became the mayor of Wescastle, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor in 2014. He successfully ran for senate in 2016, and has since chaired numerous committees including the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Business career

Mine collapse

In February 2003, 52 miners were trapped at the Dessland Mine in Redeemer’s Land, which was co-owned and operated by Kaur and Desden subsidiary Redeem Energy. Although 36 miners were saved, two rescue workers died attempting to reach the miners, and a series of boreholes found that the remaining miners were unlikely to have survived. The miners were declared dead, and their bodies were never recovered. Prior to the collapse, the Dessland Mine had received 64 violations and was fined ℤ12,000. Kaur claimed that the mine collapse was triggered by a natural earthquake and that the practice of retreat mining was not responsible. Responding to reports of retreat mining, Kaur said: "I wish you would take the word retreat mining out of your vocabulary. Those were words invented by lackies for the Unions, who would like to organize this coal mine."

Seismologists and government officials disputed this claim, and said the mine collapse was the cause of a coal mine bump that was caused by the mine's use of retreat mining. Adam Baener, the government's top mine safety official, said: "It was not—and I repeat, it was not—a natural occurring earthquake." An analysis by seismologists at the University of Alanis found that the seismic event was "consistent with an underground collapse". Researchers at the University of Tofino also stated that the tremor was not triggered by an earthquake.

On July 24, 2003, the government's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced its highest penalty for coal mine safety violations, ℤ5.85 million, for the collapse. The government fined Kaur and Desden ℤ1.34 million "for violations that directly contributed to the deaths of 16 miners and 2 rescue workers last year", plus nearly ℤ300,000 for other violations. The government also levied a ℤ220,000 fine against a mining consultant, Pulle Associates, "for faulty analysis of the mine's design". Jonathan Kaur was criticized for his actions during the rescue attempt. The MSHA cited his volatile behavior, especially at daily briefings for family members. MSHA reported that he "frequently became very irate and would start yelling."

Personal life

Kaur met his wife at the University of Verdesia, a foreign exchange student from East Chanchajilla named Marta Rodríguez. They married in 1994. The couple has four children.