Asbestos Legislation

A Canadian lawmaker said he wanted to look into the potential banning of asbestos, even though Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that such a ban would not be enacted.

According to the Langley Advance, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Mark Warawa, of Langley, said that the issue of asbestos should be further examined.

"I think we need to take a serious look at the export of asbestos," he said. "It's directly linked to cancer."

Harper, who recently won a majority government, had said that the country would not ban the export of the substance to countries where its use is legal, such as India.

It now appears that Warawa's stance may have cost him politically as the news source reports that Harper did not give the lawmaker a secretary post. The Advance reports that Warawa had been the secretary to the minister of the environment for a number of years.

Asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, among other diseases, which has led to it being banned in more than 50 countries around the globe. However, Canada continues to mine the substance and send it to developing countries.