I'd like to nominate James Hardie for the title of Australia's Worst Corporate Citizen. In the name of profit for its shareholders, this company persisted in mining and producing asbestos products long after after it was aware that they were dangerous to workers and consumers. Once the game was up, it then engaged in every legal and financial trick in the book to try and avoid its responsibilities to the victims of its activities. Now it's been exposed as being fraudulent in the compensation arrangements it was eventually required to make to its victims.

Now James Hardie claims to have no money. I say that we should levy the directors and shareholders, who have derived profits and dividends from their company's shameful activities.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/23/2550441.htm

Other nominations for Australia's Worst Corporate Citizen are invited.

Probably the worst Morgan. It's hard to imagine a more cynical bunch than this mob trying to lie their way out of their acknowledged responsibilities. Except for their predecessors who continued to produce the product after they knew the dangers.

Honourable mention to the chemical giant who managed to turn toxic large areas around Botany and to poison the aquifer below. They also managed to destroy a large section of Rhodes and the Parramatta River. And god only knows what else across across Oz.

And one for the future, mobile phone cos.

anyone know where Belly is? hols? gone to macquarie st. to engineer the nsw power selloff to the chinese govt? I hope he's ok.

Good point, old pal - he hasn't posted for a while. I imagine he'd have something to say on this topic...

Where is our favourite unionist when we need him?

Morgan, the JH case is one where the unions involved deserve kudos.

I worked for this organisation in the early nineties. They were without any shadow of a doubt the worst employer I have ever encountered.

Their Industrial Laws were in the Dark Ages.

No matter. In a subsequent legal stoush, they settled in full, without condition, the evening before we were set for hearing.

They were/are without conscience.