Link to additional asbestos petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-ministries-of-industry-and-foreign-affairs-canadians-do-not-support-asbestos-trade

Petition for Canadians:  http://www.canadacausescancer.ca/

On April 26th, during an election stop in Asbestos, QC, Prime Minister Harper made clear his party's support of a deadly carcinogen: "The only party that defends the chrysotile industry is our party, the Conservative party." This election also marked the retirement of Chuck Strahl, former member of Parliament for Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, and former Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. In 2005, Strahl was tragically diagnosed with lung cancer, caused by exposure to asbestos. Cancer caused by exposure to asbestos has robbed countless people of their lives and future, and even as it struck close to home, within Harper's own caucus, nothing was done to prevent this from continuing to happen.

​The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the Canadian Medical Association, the United States Department of Health and Human Services and many other agencies have spoken out against the dangers of chrysotile asbestos, but they have fallen upon deaf ears within our government.

Claims of limiting its danger through the use of “proper handling” are of little comfort when one takes into account the damage it can do. Canada must support listing chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous chemical. Countries that do choose to import it must be made fully aware of all possible health concerns and they must have the opportunity to refuse shipments if they do not believe they can handle it properly. Ideally, no one would ever have to come in contact with this product, and we would not take part in the carcinogen trade. As a first step though, we must make sure everyone is well aware of the dangers and consequences of handling and using asbestos.

A product that is unsuitable for Canadians should not be allowed to enter the buildings and lives of those less fortunate and without the resources to say no.

Amir Attaran, LLB DPhil, David R. Boyd, LLB and Matthew B. Stanbrook, MD PhD, “Asbestos mortality: a Canadian export.”  http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179/9/871

Roger Collier, “Health advocates assail Canada's asbestos stance.”  http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179/12/1257