Australian Senate Slams Canada's Asbestos Industry

Upper house passes motion urging government to get Canada to stop producing and exporting the harmful mineral.

Unbeknownst to us until just this morning, but last week, the Australian Senate passed a motion condemning Canada for the country's continued exporting of asbestos to developing countries in Asia. The Green Party leader in the Senate, Bob Brown, introduced a motion that "expresses its disappointment that Canada is stalling the listing of chrysotile asbestos in [the Rotterdam Convention of harmful materials]," calls on the Canadian Government to "recognise the profound global implications of Canada’s continuing production and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing products," and "supports the Australian Government to use strong diplomatic efforts to convince the Canadian Government to cease both production of and trade in asbestos." The motion passed with little opposition. Successive Canadian governments, including the current one, have stood by Quebec's asbestos industry, despite the mineral causing as many as 100,000 deaths a year in the developing world. The Conservatives maintain that the mineral is safe when handled properly.