ASBESTOS
REGS
LONG
OVERDUE
Asbestos
Awareness
19
September 2009
It's two
years
since
asbestos
victims
groups
sought
repairs
to
faulty
regulations
so that
asbestos
victims
can seek
compensation
- and
still
the
state
government
has not
acted.
Victims,
their
families,
supporters
and
unions
will
rally at
the old
James
Hardie
site at
Largs
Bay to
ratchet
up
pressure
on the
government
to fix
its
flawed
laws.
The
rally
coincides
with the
Adelaide
launch
of the
book
"Killer
Company
- James
Hardie
Exposed"
by
respected
ABC
journalist
Matt
Peacock.
Asbestos
Coalition
spokespeople
Kay
Tidswell
and
Terry
Miller,
and SA
Unions
Secretary,
Janet
Giles
say the
state
government's
inaction
adds
insult
to
injury
for
hundreds
of
asbestos
victims
left in
legal
limbo.
"James
Hardie
knew its
product
was
dangerous
in 1940.
However,
the
faulty
state
government
regulations
set the
date of
assumed
knowledge
at 1971
for
companies
that
used
asbestos.
It means
that
people
exposed
to
asbestos
before
that
date
must
prove
knowledge
in order
to seek
justice
causing
unjust
delays
in the
legal
process."
"There
are
former
employees
of BHP,
the
Railways
and the
Government
who
believe
they're
entitled
to
pursue
compensation."
"It's
frankly
ridiculous
to
suggest
that BHP
didn't
know
about
the
dangers
of
asbestos
until
1971,
when
even the
product
manufacturers
are
prepared
to admit
they
knew 30
years
earlier."
"In
2007, we
asked
the
Attorney
General
Michael
Atkinson
to fix
the
regulations
as a
matter
of
urgency.
In May
2008, we
made a
submission
to the
state
government
suggesting
the date
be set
at 1960.
It's now
September
2009 and
the
Attorney
has yet
to act."
"Meanwhile,
victims
continue
to
suffer
the
physical
emotional
and
economic
hardship
of
asbestos
related
diseases,
and
their
capacity
to
pursue
recompense
dwindles
as their
illnesses
worsen -
at this
rate
they may
die
without
seeing
justice
done."
"It's an
unfair,
unjust
morally
indefensible
situation.
That's
why we
ant the
Attorney
to act
now -
not next
year or
after
the next
election.
Every
day
counts
when
lives
are on
the
line."
Rally
for
Asbestos
Victims
Saturday
19
September
10.00 am
old
James
Hardie
site,
216
Victoria
Road,
Largs
Bay
SA
Asbestos
Coalition
- Kay
Tidwell
and
Terry
Miller,
SA
Unions
Secretary,
Janet
Giles,
ABC
journalist
Matt
Peacock,
Independent
MP Nick
Xenophon,
Victims
and
Families
