Thursday, April 16, 2009

Health Canada, asbestos and the accountability issue

Whether it's bovine growth hormone or deadly asbestos, Health Canada always seems to be on the side of the big battalions. In the former case, its own scientists who questioned its approval were harassed and fired, and only a heavy lobby killed the release of this hormone into our cattle--and ultimately into our milk.

Now, with a successful Access to Information request by CanWest, a sixteen-page report on asbestos that Health Canada sat on for more than a year is finally available to the public. It links chrysotile asbestos, the supposed "safe" variety of the mineral that we export to Third World countries, to lung cancer and
the painful and deadly mesothelioma. As Leslie Stayner, a public health expert, noted:

The most important thing is what [the report] doesn't say, which is [what] some people have alleged it would say. What it doesn't say is that exposure to chrysotile asbestos is safe. I think the bottom line here is that all forms of asbestos cause both mesothelioma and lung cancer.

The panel that put together the report included an advocate for the asbestos industry, David Bernstein. But it didn't come up with the report that the Harper government wanted and expected. Thanks to the corporate media, in other words, and not to Health Canada, Canada's continued poisoning of Third World workers with asbestos has just taken another hit. That's painfully ironic from a progressive standpoint.

In this case, the pressure apparently came directly from Stephen Harper's office, according to an uncharacteristically strong editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. But in general, the public policy question is this: to what extent can government departments resist corporate and political interference in their mandate to serve the public? In the case of Health Canada, whose name is beginning to sound positively Orwellian,
the answer is--not much.

Government departments, as institutions of governance, are accountable first and foremost to the government itself, and not to the public. They cannot, in other words, effectively serve two masters. Government departments are not arms-length agencies, and indeed they should not be statutorily independent of government.

Stronger whistle-blowing legislation with a clear role for bargaining agents--missing in the current Accountability Act--would help to safeguard the public interest, as a kind of safety-valve. But in the case at hand, in which the department has clearly been given its marching orders by the PMO, no such legislation would apply.

We aren't dealing here solely with amoral bureaucrats, in other words, but with an immoral government. The solution to this is ultimately political, not institutional. Unfortunately, given former human rights advocate Michael Ignatieff's flip-flop on this issue, that solution won't be coming any time soon. And meanwhile, workers in Third World countries where safety standards are a joke will continue to die agonizing deaths at our hands.

____________
[Note: I've blogged about asbestos before. For those interested, the Ottawa Citizen has amassed a veritable archive of background information on its hazards.]

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hola! I've been reading your web site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!

Here is my page - onlineradio
My web site: Russisches Radio

Anonymous said...

"Is there really no way to transfer my VC and Wii - Ware games from my Wii to another. Thus the games like the Mahjongg Spiele as well as the Naegel machen games are more in demand and this is the greatest benefit or advantage of the online games. Each child is given 30 seconds to race to the pile and make as many matches as possible before time runs out.

Here is my web-site - spiele spielen kostenlos

Anonymous said...

Conѕіdеr running a contest or offеrіng a free prοduct tiρ shееt that acсompanies the inteгνiew.
Manу peoρlе will be happy with replacеable batterіeѕ foг home use and oсcaѕional
outings. It іs а more rеliable chοice when comρаreԁ
to tгaditіonal conсrеte or woοden barгiers for several reasonѕ.


My webѕite ... rls.se

Anonymous said...

Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on
sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be exciting to read content from other authors and use a little something from
their sites.

Also visit my webpage; Suggested Web site

Anonymous said...

Gгeаt post however I waѕ ωаnting to know if you could
write a litte more on this topic? I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Cheers!

Here is my site: click the next website page

Anonymous said...

"Is there really no way to transfer my VC and Wii - Ware games from my Wii to another. WIFI:Als Verbindungsmoglichkeiten ins Internet stehen Ihnen WIFI wireless lan zu Verfugung. The full version has no ads and offers goal alerts for the leagues and teams of your choice.

my page - kostenlos spielen ohne anmeldung

Anonymous said...

Then a splash screen that is not present on the purchased version "nags" for several seconds, and the background from the
desktop is displayed on the laptop. If you look around your community, our country, and the world, there is little evidence of loving actions.
Wherever you click you are instantly overwhelmed with special offers: book this, buy that,
fly with us, hop on this, reserve that. When it comes to bridging your skills gap in gaming
world then you can do anything to prove yourself. Many consumers worry
about their security when making purchases over the internet.

"What have you Googled lately. Today, the scenario is entirely different. I'm the kind who smokes and judges people' Vanda pretends to demonstrate a yoga pose with a cigarette in her hand' 'Whoa, THAT guy's out of shape''. Vision for Space Exploration Cover by NASA used under Public Domain. There is a rarely discussed addiction that can be as enslaving as drugs and as devastating to self-respect, self-confidence and healthy functioning as alcoholism.

Look at my web site :: http://www.latesthealthpolicy.info/
Also see my web page :: http://www.monroeunderwood.com/index.php?do=/profile-28091/info

Anonymous said...

"Is there really no way to transfer my VC and Wii - Ware games from my Wii to another. Resident Evil 2 is the undisputed king daddy in the world of early survival horror. You'll have to keep the phone close (on the bed or in an armband) for the app to work.

Here is my web page spiele spielen kostenlos

Anonymous said...

Then a splash screen that is not present on the purchased version "nags" for several seconds,
and the background from the desktop is displayed
on the laptop. Stored energy printers. Still, Lich King is not devoid of its flaws.
As a rule of thumb, if an app has been successful in i - OS or Android format, it is likely to also be found
on Windows Marketplace. These applications are delivered
with a lot more flexibility at a fraction of the cost compared to desktop applications.
But there is a magic formula. This was the time when broadband internet was still in its infancy
and uploading the revised pages could be nothing short of tedious
with a slow phone line connectivity. FIFA has stated that a player named
as a goalkeeper can only play in goal and that this rule will
be enforced. * You're realistic about what you expect from others. Two people have a heated argument, voices raised, vocalized obscenities, hearts racing ' obvious discord
all rooted in fear.

Here is my web page http://museo.ucontrol.com.ar/index.php?title=Usuario_Discusión:MarilouHa

Anonymous said...

What's up colleagues, good post and fastidious arguments commented here, I am actually enjoying by these.

Also visit my site internet radio

Anonymous said...

Each listing includes the skills taught and the suggested age for the activity.

Resident Evil 2 is the undisputed king daddy in the world of early survival horror.
The player guides Phen through 10 levels of dungeon gameplay, finding a
whole host of weapons and other items as well.

Look into my web blog onlineradio

Anonymous said...

Hold down an app for a second, and start turning
off all the apps that you aren't using by pressing the "minus" button. Hold your device on end to locate two small screws on either side of the dock. Rechargeable batteries last longer than single use batteries before disposal and reduce the number of batteries you buy.

Here is my blog myvideo downloader

Anonymous said...

7 WCLH ( Formаt: College Radіo Wilkes Univеrsity's radio station plays mostly alternative rock, but Mondays have seemingly always been "Metal Mondays. Yet another way to construct a device to harness energy from radio waves is using an antenna, connected to a series of diodes and a capacitor bank that is earthed. This not only allows listeners to listen to their favorite MP3 files along with their SIRIUS radio; it also lets them digitally record their favorite radio songs for instant playback.

Here is my page ... youtube downloader online
my page - greyfox.me/rife/wiki/index.php?title=Best-Ways-To-Market-Your-Online-Business

Anonymous said...

Some people have hormonal disorders, glandular conditions, genetic conditions or other concerns that are beyond their control that
makes it harder for them to lose weight. Jetzt konnen sogar viel beschaftigte
Personen gesund und fit bleiben mit den besten Fitness-Programmen der Experten.
Because tinnitus is a condition that afflicts many people, and yet there is no surefire cure to the problem, there are many different methods for tinnitus relief.


my web site ... please click the up coming website page

Anonymous said...

Drama Free Radio's mission as a Christ centered company is to search high and low for the best independent artists, authors and speakers to introduce and promote those that focus on messages that inspire and motivate the listener to be all that God created them to be. You can also use You - Tube Mobile Application to record video content onto your Nokia E63. If your looking for something dark and different or maybe light and lucsious, chances are you'll find it on
one of these stations.

my page http://tonasnyhceo.beeplog.com/302362_1650997.htm

Anonymous said...

You could experience natural disasters like cyclone,
tornadoes, earthquakes, and fire. Like a pc when much too many programs are downloaded at the moment
the process can shut lower from overuse. You just read the
instruction, know which buttons to press to handle the vehicle and just
jump into the game.

Also visit my website :: com.br

Anonymous said...

The European Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Methods, (ECVAM) is
responsible for researching alternatives
to animal testing. Face mask - Skip the essence of avocado
or cucumber scented masks and go right to the source. The reflections of the sky, not only in the water, but on
the boat as well, lend a hand to a desired blending
of color and a balance that is perfection.

my web-site ... Beauty

Anonymous said...

The most attractive feature of an online radio tuner is its ability
to record what you're listening to. Remember that most dorm room radio stations out there may or may not be online from time to time and that cannot be blamed on the app, however this does hinder the experience of Internet radio on the i - Phone. With the Worldmate Nokia 5800 Xpress - Music application you can keep track of the current times in up to five different cities worldwide at a go.

Also visit my weblog ... http://www.seancovey.com/blog/?p=72

Anonymous said...

There are hundreds of websites and blogs available on the web for people to visit to help them begin using
coupons effectively, share deals, get advice and exchange information on tips and deals.
Now that more and more books are being written for vamps,
another long time love, I am totally enjoying the new crop of writers who have vamps and magicians as
their heroes. Another feature lets you transform coordinates between Min - Dec, DMS, Deg
- Dec and UTM; and you can calculate projections, and distances
between two coordinates.

Feel free to visit my website; colorado springs flights

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've been following your web site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the fantastic job!

Here is my weblog ... books of ra kostenlos

Anonymous said...

Hey it is a actual cool website

Feel free to surf to my web blog; having trouble Getting pregnant