Canada opposes international ban on Asbestos

Canadians seem to be unaware, but with each successive isolating position on the world stage, this Conservative government is destroying our international reputation. Oh sure, if you narrow your gaze to mere conversations about banking systems, Canada shines brightly, but in totality the perceptions reveal more an emerging pariah than poster child.

The latest "outrageous" stance by the Conservatives again projects Canada as a soulless power, wherein only economic benefit is calculated, further ethical considerations an irritant to greed. To be fair, the past Liberal government wasn’t exactly stellar on the asbestos file, but this crew has taken denial and obstruction to an entirely new level of embarrassment:

Canada told the world Wednesday it opposes placing limits on the export of chrysotile asbestos – a "bombshell" expected to derail international efforts to list the mineral as hazardous.

The head of the Canadian delegation at a United Nations summit in Geneva made the statement late Wednesday after a consensus was emerging to label the known carcinogen mined in Quebec as hazardous"

What’s even more dubious, our newly minted Natural Resources Minister stated if a consensus emerged, we would go along with the initiative. However, once we could no longer hide behind our biggest importer India and the Ukraine, Canada was smoked out and stood with a motley crew of outlier nations. Canada is now basically alone, another shameful performance that has left other nations shaking their heads at our behaviour.

Harper may try to spin Canadians that we are a rising power on the world stage, our stature never higher. But, when you start to add up the relevant issues, listen to the feedback of diplomats and foreign press reports, Canada looks like an international obstacle that has one singular focus: ensuring nothing gets in the way of it’s ambitions or direct self interest. Once a leader, a country that other nations looked to as a bit of a moral compass, with each successive "outrage" Harper is dismantling that image, replaced with an almost mulitnational corporation feel. CanaINC, an amoral conglomerate singularly focused on profits and expansion, devoid of social conscience and moral imperatives. We might have the banks, but our reputation is being robbed as we speak.