New book on James Hardie details culture of “profits and pride”
James Hardie Industries posted a huge rise in profits today, a year after the conclusion of the Government inquiry into its failed asbestos foundation. The announcement also coincides with the release of a new book looking into the corporate culture that led to the company to move offshore to distance itself from paying millions of dollars in compensation to asbestos victims. The new book, by journalist and writer Gideon Haigh, is called Asbestos House, and it takes its name from the grand old building that James Hardie had as its headquarters in Sydney. The building was renamed in the 1970s for PR reasons. He spoke to the Wire about whether he believed the board executives genuinely believed that the compensation fund set up to pay victims had been given enough money.