The tens of thousands of New Zealanders impacted by the leaky homes scandal deserve to finally find out what went wrong and who is to blame for their heartache and financial losses.
When the leaky home crisis hit, the facts were hard to find and everyone was ducking for cover, pointing the finger at someone else.
The few people who stood up and said that things had to change were ignored, shouted down, bought off, or ostracised.
The lead players fed the public lies and mistruths to avoid responsibility and legal action.
For years after the evidence appeared, leaky homes in the thousands continued to be built.
One of the lawyers for James Hardie in the current Class Action Lawsuit, Jack Hodder, reportedly said in the early days of this trial that “people relevant to the lawsuit were now dead, and others would have trouble remembering details”.
That is wishful thinking on his part. Many people, and not just the homeowners, were impacted and scarred and we have long memories, Mr Hodder.
Some of us in the industry during that period knew where to look, continued asking questions, and keeping copies of the documents, emails and meeting notes. The truth gradually emerged, and it’s our obligation to reveal what we know. You might call us whistle-blowers.
In spite of what Mr Hodder may hope for, one of our writers is very much alive, and not only remembers damning details but has also assembled a library of over 3,000 documents, some via the OIA (Official Information Act) that are likely to cause both sides of the Lawsuit to rethink their approach.
James Hardie, BRANZ, Building Industry Authority, NZ Standards and the Councils – be on notice that we are going to EXPOSE what you did.
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