Ban Asbestos

It's time to end the hypocrisy and stop exporting Canada’s toxic waste.

A justly maligned product asbestos is the leading cause of death for workers around the planet. For some of the worst reasons, of politics over principles, Canada continues to export this cancer-causing fibre to the developing world. The containers of asbestos that we send to India, Indonesia, and other developing countries, all stamped proudly with our flag, are shipments of death, pure and simple.

To add insult to injury, Canadian taxpayers have helped fund the lobby group for the industry to the tune of $20 million over the last 20 years. Paying to export death, ruin our reputation, and prop up a dying industry is wrong. Last year, inspired by young people in my riding, I proposed a bill to end the export of asbestos full stop.

We need to help the communities and the few hundred remaining workers still mining asbestos to transition to other industries, and with a recent boom in the mining sector, the timing is right. We can restore our reputation, stop harming millions of people, and do the right thing.

We are right now spending millions to rip asbestos out of homes, schools, and even the parliament buildings – let’s end the hypocrisy and ban asbestos in all its forms.