Kathleen Ruff, RightOnCanada.ca
Over 140 civil society organisations, medical doctors and health experts from Canada and around the world have written to Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, calling on his government to ban asbestos.
Asbestos is the biggest occupational killer of Canadian workers, yet millions of dollars’ worth of asbestos-containing goods are imported into Canada each year, exposing increased numbers of Canadians to harm.
For decades, the Canadian government funded the asbestos lobby and has played a leading global role to promote the use of asbestos in countries in the global South.
The pro-asbestos policy of the previous Conservative government ignored the scientific evidence and brought enormous international condemnation of Canada as a threat to science, public health and international collaboration.
The health experts are placing their hope in the new Canadian government, that it will change course for Canada, respect scientific evidence and join the more than 50 countries that have already banned asbestos.
Because of the destructive environmental and health policies implemented by the previous Conservative government over the past decade, the new government has many urgent matters calling for its attention.
It is to be hoped that banning asbestos will be one of the urgent issues it will address.
January 21st, 2016 at 1:10 am
Dear Mr. Trudeau
Despite economic circumstances in our country, I hear Canadians speak with hope and optimism, since the election that finally deposed Stephen Harper. We now expect you to make Canada a better, safer, more just place. You can do this by banning the use of asbestos.