Thetford Mines, August 24, 2009 – The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Member for Mégantic-L'Érable, once again roundly criticized Michael Ignatieff’s remarks about chrysotile and the complicit silence of Marc Giroux, his candidate in Mégantic-L'Érable.

In Lennoxville last Friday, the Liberal leader once again threatened to stop chrysotile mining if his party is elected. Michael Ignatieff stated that “science has shown that chrysotile is dangerous and Canada should not export it.”

In Christian Paradis’s opinion, the chrysotile industry and its workers can be proud of what they have achieved over the past 30 years to ensure that chrysotile is used safely and under strict controls. He is calling on Mr. Ignatieff to stop making remarks that tarnish their efforts.

“While the chrysotile industry was working hard to develop a safe and science-based approach to the use of chrysotile, Mr. Ignatieff was living in the United Kingdom, a hub of the international anti-asbestos movement. If the Liberal leader had spent more time in Canada over the past 34 years, he might be better informed about the science relating to chrysotile and might stop making comments that undermine the efforts of honest workers.”

Mr. Paradis also points to Mr. Ignatieff’s cavalier attitude to the loss of 700 jobs in our regions, just when we are doing everything possible to bring Canada out of the worst economic recession since World War II. “Maybe in Mr. Ignatieff’s world of books jobs can be created at the snap of the fingers, but workers know that is not how it works in the real world.”
 
Moreover, Mr. Paradis finds it regrettable that the Liberal candidate for Mégantic-L’Érable, Marc Giroux, has sacrificed his principles to please his new boss. “First Mr. Giroux set aside his nationalist convictions by supporting a leader who has shown obvious contempt for Quebeckers. Now he is supporting a leader who is willing to set aside the gains workers have made over many years in fighting the misinformation surrounding the safe use of chrysotile. One has to wonder what Mr. Giroux’s real intentions are in running as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.”

In closing, Mr. Paradis points out that the results of the next election will be decisive for the survival of the chrysotile industry. “After the next election, the country will either be led by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, which stands up for the communities and workers of Thetford Mines and Asbestos and supports the safe use of chrysotile, or by Michael Ignatieff’s Liberal government, which will give in to the international lobby against asbestos, sacrificing the livelihood of hundreds of families in the region. I have no doubt that the people of Thetford Mines and Asbestos will do whatever it takes to make sure the Conservative government can continue protecting them.”