Shattering the conventional wisdom on asbestos

If political strategists have any capacity for introspection, they should be asking themselves some serious questions about the Parti Québécois’ late-innings promise to cancel a $58-million government loan to the Jeffrey Mine in the Estrie, and to end all exports of chrysotile asbestos from Quebec.

Objectively, this is a no-brainer. The industry is paltry; exports in 2011 amounted to just $41-million, or 0.07% of Quebec’s total. Even in the town of Asbestos, it employs an insignificant fraction of the population.

For that meagre payoff, Canada gets a black eye on the world stage by joining Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan in opposing even the addition of warning labels to exports: In June, Postmedia news obtained a briefing memo to Environment Minister Peter Kent indicating that the government had in the past “acknowledged all criteria for the addition of chrysotile asbestos to the [Rotterdam] Convention [on hazardous substances] have been met,” but it nevertheless continues to oppose its addition.

Some continue to insist that chrysotile can be used safely. But the conclusively and disturbingly documented fact is that in the developing nations that buy the bulk of Quebec’s asbestos — notably India — it is not used safely. This isn’t akin to the seal hunt, opposition to which is mostly based on a hypocritical affinity for cuddly animals; or the oil sands, without which Canada would instantaneously become a much poorer nation. The only reason for politicians to prop up the asbestos industry, or even allow it to continue, is that the Big Book of Conventional Wisdom says they have to, or else suffer the wrath of Quebecers.

If the asbestos industry was centred in northern Alberta, every federal party would long ago have thrown it under the bus. And yet the federal Tories and (at least until recently) Bloc Québécois remain staunchly in its favour. The Liberals under Michael Ignatieff finally took against it — presumably that position still holds — but only after Mr. Ignatieff twisted and squirmed and equivocated, no doubt fearing further humiliations in the party’s former Quebec stronghold.

If anyone had bothered to look, they would have discovered a January 2011 Léger Marketing poll that found 76% of Quebecers opposed to the $58-million loan guarantee (which outgoing premier Jean Charest later sweetened to an outright loan), and 65% opposed to the industry in general. Then the New Democrats went out and swept Quebec with a platform that was totally anti-asbestos. And then Ms. Marois, who exemplifies the sort of reactionary, “maîtres chez nous” mentality that strategists seem to fear, promised to kill the industry as an explicit, last-minute election promise. And now she is premier-elect.

The conventional wisdom on asbestos, which hasn’t made any sense for many years, has been shattered. And we are forced to wonder how many other traditional third-rail issues might now safely be touched. Supply management in the dairy industry — the further enrichment of a few wealthy dairy farmers in a few ridings, at the expense of every non-vegan Canadian and the nation’s free-trading reputation — comes immediately to mind.

National Post Editorial Board | Sep 10, 2012
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/10/national-post-editorial-board-shattering-the-conventional-wisdom-on-asbestos/