Hardys found to have misled over asbestos compensation
The fight for compensation for asbestos victims has been a long and hard-fought one. Today brought a degree of bad news but also a moral victory. Building products company Hardy’s found guilty in the New South Wales supreme Court of making misleading statements about victims compensation. The ten former board members could be fined up to 200 thousand dollars. But then Hardy’s announced that they wouldn’t be contributing to the fund this financial year because of the global financial crisis and a downturn in profits. SA Asbestos Victims Association’s Terry Miller says its ironic that victims must hope that Hardy’s fortunes improve so that the compensation fund can be maintained. He says new and ever younger victims are constantly turning up with health issues related to asbestos exposure.