Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by literally thousands of Canadians from all across Canada. They call upon Parliament to take note that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer the world has ever known. They further point out that Canada continues to be one of the largest producers and exporters of asbestos in the world. The petitioners also want Parliament to take note that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial causes combined and yet Canada spends millions of dollars subsidizing the asbestos industry and blocking international efforts to curb its use.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to ban asbestos in all its forms and institute a just transition program for asbestos workers and the communities in which they live. They also call upon government to end all subsidies of asbestos, both in Canada and abroad, and finally, to stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam Convention.