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Wow, get a backbone Ignatieff

So on March 28th while in Saanich, leader of the Canadian Liberal party Michael Ignatieff made the following statement:

“I'm probably walking right off the cliff into some unexpected public policy bog of which I'm unaware, but if asbestos is bad for Parliamentarians in the Parliament of Canada, it just has to be bad for everybody else. Our export of this dangerous product overseas has got to stop."

Next day, the Asbestos Institute (I will *not* call them the Chrysotile Institute – this rose still stinks) issues a press release saying, “no, he didn’t say that.” Did I mention we have his statement on tape? Yeah, we do.

Environment critic David McGuinty then says this:

"No, no, what he was asked in Victoria was if he had a position on asbestos and he didn't know the details on the subject of the difference between chrysotile and pure asbestos, so we are in the process of reviewing our situation, our position regarding the Rotterdam Convention and it's in full negociation within caucus."

So on April 1st Ignatieff now says this:

“We have 60 years of experience with this product. What I said in response to a question in Victoria, is that we have an obligation, it's an international Convention, to warn countries to which we export this product, so that they know that there are risks for public health. That is all I said. That's my position."

Am I surprised? No – this is the party that has funnelled millions of dollars into the asbestos industry and promoted its expansion in the developing world. Plus the had the audacity to take a public health issue and force it to be adjudicated at the frickin’ WTO!

Am I disgusted? You betcha. Seriously, Mr ‘human rights crusader’ doesn’t have the balls to stand by the statement that maybe Canada shouldn’t be promoting the expansion of the biggest occupational health and safety disaster of ALL TIME?

This spinelessness is both a slap in the face and a punch in the stomach to everyone suffering from the agony of an asbestos-related disease and to all of us who have lost loved ones as result of Canada’s asbestos policies.

Because nothing screams ‘leadership’ like caving to the pressures from one of the most disreputable industries in the world – second only to tobacco. You’re backin’ the wrong horse Ignatieff. It’s just too bad that it’s the people in the developing world who will have to pay the price for your choice.

The Monkey's Paw

Don’t you hate it when you have that kind of experience? Where you’ve had some deep-seeded desire for something to happen, or to be…and then poof – suddenly it becomes reality. Except that you forgot to will a really important component of that desire into existence as well. So in fact, you’re actually left wishing that it hadn’t happened at all. Kind of. But not.

...curse you paw!!