Campaign 15 MPs – Can You Help?

Wed, Aug 10, 2011

Asbestos

140 MPs in the House of Commons oppose the use and export of asbestos. We only need 15 MORE MPs to have a majority. Two Conservative MPs have already broken rank with their party – Pat Davidson & Ed Holder – with Mr Holder saying that “he cannot in good conscience support asbestos”.

QUESTION: Would you and/or your organisation adopt a Conservative MP and get him/her to go with their conscience, like Ed Holder? We will gladly help you.

Many Conservative MPs have health connections. See sample list below. The supposed commitment of these MPs to health is incompatible with exporting asbestos death overseas. They can and should be publicly challenged on this.

Prevent Cancer Now has already adopted Natural Resources Minister, Joe Oliver. Sierra Club Canada has adopted Federal Environment Minister, Peter Kent, and has already sent out an action alert on this to their membership. I have adopted Kellie Leitch.

A small fair trade prize (woven by Maya women belonging to a Guatemalan women’s co-operative) will be given to three people/organisations who succeed in winning over a Conservative MP. Names will be drawn from a hat, if we have more than three names. (Confession: we are hoping for more than 15 names.)

You can see the list of Conservative MPs you can choose from and how to contact them here: http://stopasbestos.ca/campaign%2015.html

These Conservative MPs need and deserve your attention. Will you adopt one? Maybe your local MP is a Conservative MP. Please let us know. THANK YOU!

Kathleen

PARTICULARLY PROMISING CANDIDATES:

Jim Hillyer, Lethbridge, AB. Having overcome aggressive leukemia himself, he was also a spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Cathy McLeod, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, BC. A long-time resident of Kamloops, Cathy graduated as a registered nurse

Earl Dreeshen, Red Deer, AB. Chairman of the Board of Elnora Hospital, Chair of the Eltrohills Health Advisory Committee.

Diane Finley, Haldiman-Norfolk, ON worked on the Ontario Government Health Policy Advisory Council.

Eve Adams, Mississauga-Brampton South, ON. -She has helped to organize or participated in the Terry Fox Run for 16 years. She was honoured to work with Terry Fox’s brother, Darrell Fox, to bring the Tour of Hope to Mississauga.

Rod Bruinooge, Winnipeg South, MB, was active in Winnipeg`s health community including roles as the Director of Riverview Health Centre, a Council Member for the WRHA and a committee member with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

Kelly Block, Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, SK, worked in the healthcare field for over 20 years — starting as a house-keeping aid at a long-term care facility, later becoming a Member of the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority board. She was also a Director on the board of the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN) for five years.

REPUTABLE ORGANISATIONS CALLING FOR AN END TO USE OF ASBESTOS

The Canadian Medical Association
The Canadian Cancer Society
The Lung Association of Canada
The Quebec Medical Association
The Canadian Public Health Association
The Canadian Nurses Association
The Quebec Association for Public Health
The Association of physicians specializing in community Health of Québec
The Lung Association of Quebec
The National Specialty Society for Community Medicine
The Quebec Association for Occupational Hygiene, Health & Safety
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
The Quebec College of Family Physicians
The International Commission on Occupational Health
The International Social Security Association
The World Health Organization
The International Labour Organization
The Canadian Labour Congress
All of Canada’s national trade union organisations – CUPE, PSAC, CAW, etc.
The Building Trades Councils feel especially strongly on this issue as asbestos has killed so many construction workers
The International Trade Union Confederation, representing 175 million workers in 151 countries
Building Workers International
Public Service International

REPUTABLE ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING THE USE OF ASBESTOS

ZERO

One Response to “Campaign 15 MPs – Can You Help?”

  1. Lorne Warwick Says:

    Given Canada’s unconscionable ongoing export of death (i.e., asbestos) and given that it is back in the media spotlight thanks to the brave efforts of Michaela Keyserlingk, about whom I wrote a brief posting yesterday, now seems a propitious moment to post the response I wrote to my Member of Parliament, David Sweet, on June 20th of this year, after he responded to my expression of concern calling for the termination of this deadly practice.

    While I never publish emails that I have received, as I feel they are private communication between me and the other party, I don’t see anything improper about posting my response to such communication.

    Here it is:

    Dear Mr. Sweet,

    Thank you for your reply to the concerns I expressed regarding the ongoing export of chrysotile and the request that Canada join the United Nation in banning its production and export. While I appreciate that over the years you have always made an effort to respond to matters I have written to you about, I find that I must take issue about your and your Government’s cavalier attitude toward asbestos.

    In you response, you cite that the well-documented lethal impact of asbestos use is the result of past mishandling, and that Canada promotes the safe handling and use of this deadly product. Putting aside the fact that asbestos has been removed from Canadian buildings since its deadly nature was understood, I have to wonder whether you and your Government are indulging in either a form of sophistry or self-delusion when you imply that countries such as India, which regularly use this product, are going to handle it in a manner that will ensure the safety of its workers.

    Despite the fact that India is an emerging economic powerhouse, it still is, even by the most generous of criteria, a developing country that is well-known for its willingness to exploit the labour of men, women, and children in the most dangerous of situations, not unlike the practices
    cultivated in the West as the Industrial Revolution took hold. So by instructing upon the safe use of asbestos, you may have discharged your legal obligation, but not your moral one.

    By all accounts you are a good person, one who embraces the tenets of Christianity. I urge you to consider the central message of that religion, as espoused by Christ: to love and honour God through caring for our fellow human beings, a commission that is often so very hard to adhere to, even in the best of times.

    I realize that once a decision is made, the caucus must speak with one voice. I guess the question that I leave you to consider is this: have you, both in your capacity as the people’s representative and as the chair of the Commons Industry, Science and Technology Committee, done everything possible to follow what your heart tells you is the right thing to do on this issue?


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