James Hardie said Mr Macdonald stood by comments he made on September 28, in which he said: "It is my intention to vigorously defend myself against allegations made by Commissioner Jackson, at the appropriate time and in the proper forum". In August, the company's chairman Meredith Hellicar defended the board's decision not to sack its chief executive, but she highlighted the positives, saying "Peter's contribution to the James Hardie business is a matter of record" as he has produced "above market growth consistently over many years".