Debate resumed, on motion by Mr Murphy:

That this House:

(1)

notes that the Bernie Banton Foundation estimates that by 2020, some 40 000 Australians will have contracted asbestos related cancer;

(2)

recognises the role governments, the trade union movement and individuals, such as Bernie Banton, have played in raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos and in banning the sale and use of asbestos and asbestos products in Australia;

(3)

expresses concern that:

(a)

countries, such as Canada, continue to export asbestos to India and many other countries in South Asia; and

(b)

international efforts to list chrysotile asbestos under the Rotterdam Treaty, which requires importing countries to be warned of the risks associated with hazardous substances and products, have been blocked by countries, such as Canada; and

(4)

leads international efforts to ban the sale, mining and use of all forms of asbestos, such as chrysotile asbestos, throughout the world.

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