Madam Speaker, I have a petition signed by thousands of Canadians who point out that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer the world has ever known.
They point out that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial diseases combined yet Canada remains one of the largest producers and exporters of asbestos in the world. They also point out that Canada spends millions of dollars subsidizing the asbestos industry but also blocking international efforts to curb its use.
The petitioners call upon the government to ban asbestos; to institute a just transition program for any workers who may be affected; to end all government subsidies of asbestos, both in Canada and abroad; and to stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam Convention.