Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would also like to commend the member for bringing forward this motion on the absolute need for action on asbestos—the exporting of asbestos and the need for further action across the world. It has certainly been the tragic experience of this country that no use of asbestos and no level of exposure to asbestos, in any form, is safe.

When talking about chrysotile, the white asbestos; crocidolite, the blue asbestos; or amosite, the brown asbestos, you hear the argument: ‘What about the blue and the brown? That’s the really dangerous staff. The chrysotile, the white asbestos, can be used safely.’ We have seen comments like this made in the Thai media and I even noticed recently on IslamOnline.net someone making the case for Zimbabwe’s export of white asbestos: ‘This is the safe stuff; this is the pure asbestos.’

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