Protests Over Possible Delay With Hardie Settlements -- MesoLink.org -- 07-05-06

Protests have been held in Sydney over a ruling that could potentially cause delays in the payout of compensation to James Hardie asbestos victims and their families. The arguments have erupted over whether the settlement fund from James Hardie will be tax exempt or not.

The protests took place outside the Australian Taxation Office in Sydney, where around 50 people expressed their dissatisfaction at the ruling. The Taxation Office had ruled that the settlement fund of around $750 million would not be considered a tax exempt charity.

One union official stated that although the fund was not technically a tax exempt charity the government should have been more lenient given the circumstances. Many people were affected by asbestos exposure from products manufactured by James Hardie in the past, and many have waited a long time for any settlement to be reached.

The union official stated: "Given the tragedy surrounding these victims, we would have thought that the ATO of the government of the day, being the Howard Government, would have ensured that that tax exemption would have extended to the fund."