SOUTH Australian Premier Mike Rann has backed NSW's call for a potential boycott of James Hardie products, saying some of the company's former executives should be jailed.
Mr Rann said he supported New South Wales Premier Bob Carr's call to boycott the company's building products unless it adequately compensates its asbestosis victims. Mr Carr this morning said he had the support of other states to blacklist James Hardie products.
He gave the company a deadline of the close of business today to promise to properly compensate people sickened by its asbestos products.
The ultimatum followed the release yesterday of a six-month inquiry into the company's conduct over asbestos compensation.
In his report, inquiry Commissioner David Jackson was highly critical of James Hardie chief executive Peter Macdonald, finding that a statement by him that the company's asbestos liabilities had been "fully funded" was "misleading and deceptive".
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has also launched an investigation.
Mr Rann today said James Hardie had displayed "moral bankruptcy".
"James Hardie has acted shamefully," he said.
"It's one of the worst examples in the last 50 years of a company showing contempt for its workers, including those dying of asbestos-related cancers, and their families.
"James Hardie has a clear moral obligation to fund its future asbestos liabilities."
Mr Rann said the company had made a series of misleading and deceptive statements over the years and former executives should be prosecuted.
"I would like to see some of their former executives locked up for the shameful way their workers have been treated," he said.
"If James Hardie doesn't pay their workers adequate compensation then we support the decision of the NSW government to boycott them."
Mr Carr said the boycott would only apply if there was "a blunt refusal from the company to work with victims and commit money".
AAP
This report appears on NEWS.com.au.
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