Asbestos exports

[eyeball]

If I mailed Stephen Harper an envelope full of the dust that's killed a few of my friends and thousands of other Canadians I'd be arrested as a terrorist.

During the federal election campaign last April, Prime Minister Stephen Harper went to the asbestos region in Quebec and talked about the industry.

“Canada is one of a number of exporters of chrysotile and there are a number of countries in which it is legal who are buyers. This government will not put Canadian industry in a position where it is discriminated against in a market where it is permitted.”

There is a plan to reopen the Jeffrey Mine, the world’s largest asbestos mine, using a $58-million loan guarantee from the Quebec government.

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“Canada is one of a number of exporters of chrysotile and there are a number of countries in which it is legal who are buyers,” Harper said at a seniors’ residence named for the local Jeffrey asbestos mine.

“This government will not put Canadian industry in a position where it is discriminated against in a market where it is permitted.”

While he nodded sympathetically at the mention of Strahl’s health plight by a reporter, he did not refer to his long-time colleague in a brief response on the issue.

“My logging days included a time when we used open, asbestos brakes on the yarders, and while my exposure wasn’t that lengthy, it was intense,” the popular British Columbia MP wrote in 2005 after his diagnosis was made public.

“Typically, 20 to 25 years later, the asbestos works its ugly magic. Unfortunately, I’m right on time,” he continued.

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I bought that ticket and took that ride a little over 25 years ago too...

10$ says our dear Pappa Mr Harper dies with an oblivious conscience in a warm cozy bed at home comforted by the voices of his loved ones. Sure sounds nicer then dying with an embittered sense of injustice in an underfunded hospital bed listening to a machine going beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......

[cybercoma]

Imagine someone mailing him an envelope of asbestos. Oh man.... I feel bad for the bureaucrats that open it.

Edited February 3, 2012 by cybercoma

[Cameron]

So. We can throw previous governments under the blame-bus as well as the Quebec government for putting up money to keep the mine running.

Why is this only making news NOW. What about 10-20 years ago? Why was it allowed to operate for so long?

Could Harper be a leader and ban it. Yes. Should we run him over with the blame-bus. No.

[Guest Manny]

Could Harper be a leader and ban it. Yes. Should we run him over with the blame-bus. No.

Of course we should, if he doesn't so the right thing. He's in a position of power to change it.

And by now, well aware.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Manny

[Topaz]

So. We can throw previous governments under the blame-bus as well as the Quebec government for putting up money to keep the mine running.

Why is this only making news NOW. What about 10-20 years ago? Why was it allowed to operate for so long?

Could Harper be a leader and ban it. Yes. Should we run him over with the blame-bus. No.

That's the problem Harper won't ban it and he won't put warning labels on the product for other countries taking it. I watched this PM stand up and defend the export of this stuff in QP. So he is partly to blame but I'd like to see a cream pie in the face!

[Wild Bill]

So. We can throw previous governments under the blame-bus as well as the Quebec government for putting up money to keep the mine running.

Why is this only making news NOW. What about 10-20 years ago? Why was it allowed to operate for so long?

Could Harper be a leader and ban it. Yes. Should we run him over with the blame-bus. No.

You raise an interesting point, Cameron. Nobody has said "boo" about the Quebec government's role in this!

As always, they all pile on Harper. Harper isn't my favourite cup of tea either but I can recognize partisanship from any side when I see it!

If anything, Quebec politicians are FAR closer to the blame than Harper! He's just giving them some money. If he didn't, they'd just get it from somewhere else.

Actually, I don't know why Harper is bothering. He will get little credit in English Canada, because of the toxicity of the asbestos. In Quebec, politicians like Charest will take all the credit for the jobs and the money made for the mining town and the province.

Seems to me it would have made more political sense for Harper to give Quebec diddleysquat on this issue!

Still, that's a collateral issue. The main and obvious point is that if someone stole Harper's car and smashed into a busload of nuns and orphans, the usual critics here on MLW would be attacking Harper for having a car in the first place and raising money to help the thief with his medical bills!

[Moonlight Graham]

I would say ban asbestos exports and shut the mines down unless there are safe uses for it.

[Yukon Jack]

Questions:

1. Does Canada in general and Prime Minister Harper in particular, force other countries to buy our asbestos?

2. Is asbestos a natural resource that Canada has and other countries want?

3. Is it Canada's responsibility to caution the buyers of asbestos that the buyer should be aware?

4. Is it moral to leave several hundred Canadians who are willing to work in an asbestos mine, unemployed?

5. Should Canada also stop exporting oil, lumber, minerals, coal and electricity?

6. Has political correctness finally terminated common sense?

Edited February 3, 2012 by Yukon Jack

[eyeball]

Could Harper be a leader and ban it. Yes. Should we run him over with the blame-bus. No.

Why not? What he's been saying lately when it comes to trade, the environment and fuelling business growth is an epitome if not a celebration of the mindset that's been at the helm of the asbestos industry since the very first sets of destroyed lungs and other medical evidence were smuggled out of government regulators laboratories and hidden.

Besides which, when you're the guy in power you're the one who takes the blame for the official scumbaggery the government commits, that's how it works.

Ultimately you're right though, democratically elected governments are no better than the people who elect them.

[Wild Bill]

Why not? What he's been saying lately when it comes to trade, the environment and fuelling business growth is an epitome if not a celebration of the mindset that's been at the helm of the asbestos industry since the very first sets of destroyed lungs and other medical evidence were smuggled out of government regulators laboratories and hidden.

Besides which, when you're the guy in power you're the one who takes the blame for the official scumbaggery the government commits, that's how it works.

Ultimately you're right though, democratically elected governments are no better than the people who elect them.

I was rather hoping you might address my point about the Quebec government's role in all this and how critics here don't seem to care in their zeal to blame everything on Harper.

Instead Eyeball, you only reinforced my point! I would like to hear why you think Harper takes virtually all of the blame for this - certainly, all of the criticism.

The anti-Harper crowd couldn't be quieter about Quebec's role in this issue than if Charest was paying them!

Can you blame me for thinking this is just blatant partisanship?

[Topaz]

Ok, people time to read the following article and many questions will be answered by reading . http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/deadly-cn.htm

[cybercoma]

Questions:

1. Does Canada in general and Prime Minister Harper in particular, force other countries to buy our asbestos?

2. Is asbestos a natural resource that Canada has and other countries want?

3. Is it Canada's responsibility to caution the buyers of asbestos that the buyer should be aware?

4. Is it moral to leave several hundred Canadians who are willing to work in an asbestos mine, unemployed?

5. Should Canada also stop exporting oil, lumber, minerals, coal and electricity?

6. Has political correctness finally terminated common sense?

Let's look at your questions this way:

1. Do drug dealers, force people to buy their drugs?

2. Are drugs a product that dealers have and others want?

3. Is it the dealer's responsibility to caution the buyers of drugs that the buyer should be aware?

4. Is it moral to leave several hundred Canadians who are willing to work in selling drugs, unemployed?

5. Should stores also stop selling alcohol, tobacco, and firearms?

6. Has political correctness finally terminated common sense?

[waldo]

The anti-Harper crowd couldn't be quieter about Quebec's role in this issue than if Charest was paying them!

Can you blame me for thinking this is just blatant partisanship?

as I read it, both governments contribute an almost identical amount in terms of yearly financial aid to the asbestos industry. The more forceful and prolific global lobbying and political backing comes from the federal government. It is Canada that sits in the UN, not Quebec... it is Canada that works within the extended reach of related and relevant UN branches (like WHO), not Quebec. It is Canada that is globally recognized and identified as the official exporter of asbestos, not Quebec. In June, 2011, it was a recognized and identified Canadian delegation that blocked a UN resolution that would have listed chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous material, not Quebec. Etc., etc., etc.

can we blame you for blatant partisanship by attempting to deflect the federal onus/responsibility to the provincial level?

[eyeball]

I was rather hoping you might address my point about the Quebec government's role in all this and how critics here don't seem to care in their zeal to blame everything on Harper.

Oh. sorry.

Yes, the provincial government of Quebec is just as rotten to the core. The BIG governments of the country/world are probably even thicker than thieves.