House debates

Monday, 13 February 2012

Private Members' Business

National Asbestos Awareness Week

7:59 pm

Photo of Janelle SaffinJanelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that as National Asbestos Awareness Week is formally recognised, it makes earnest representation to the Government to continue to call on Canada to ratify the listing of chrysotile asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent;

(2) recognises the proactive actions of the Australian Government in mitigating the possible spread of asbestos related diseases through continuing bans on the production and use of asbestos as well as strict controls on the removal and disposal of existing material;

(3) commends the Australian Government on a number of measures that have been put into place to manage and compensate the victims of asbestos related diseases which include:

(a) the recent ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Asbestos Convention, as one of the first ILO Conventions to be ratified by the Commonwealth Government since 2006;

(b) Australian leadership on a strong closing declaration by 66 countries at the 2011 Conference of the Rotterdam Convention, which expressed deep concern that the listing of chrysotile asbestos had been prevented by a small number of parties and resolved to move forward to list chrysotile asbestos in Annex III;

(c) the $5 million grant made to support the Asbestos Disease Research Institute Bernie Banton Centre;

(d) funding for the new Australian Mesothelioma Registry, which was launched in 2010 to gather more detailed and accurate information on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases;

(e) support for the harmonisation of health and safety legislation which will provide, for the first time, a uniform framework for the minimisation of exposure, the removal of asbestos, and the management asbestos materials in the workplace;

(f) the establishment of the Asbestos Management Review in late 2010 to recommend strategies for the development of a national strategic plan to improve asbestos awareness, management and removal;

(g) the loan agreement with the NSW Government to ensure asbestos victims and their families continue to receive payments through the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund; and

(h) the $1.5 million Comcare Asbestos Innovation Fund which sponsors programs and research to prevent and better manage asbestos exposure, as well as improve treatment for asbestos-disease sufferers;

(4) notes the unwelcome inheritance that asbestos has left on the Australian community, which sees Australian citizens suffering one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world, with the effects of asbestos mining still being suffered by many, mostly Indigenous and past employees of James Hardie's operation at Baryulgil in the electoral division of Page, and the poor health and mortality they and their families suffer;

(5) extends its profound sympathies to all individuals suffering asbestos-related diseases as well as their friends and families and the friends and families of those who have passed away as a result of asbestos-related diseases;

(6) notes the current and potential damage that imported asbestos is creating to the people in the Asia Pacific region where, despite these well documented health risks, it remains an attractive commodity due to its low cost compared to other comparable building material;

(7) calls upon the Canadian Government to recognise the potentially catastrophic health and social implications of Canada's production and sale of asbestos and products containing asbestos to these lower socio-economic markets; and

(8) supports the Australian Government in using strong diplomatic efforts to convince the Canadian Government to cease both production and trade in asbestos.

I first gave notice of this motion during National Asbestos Awareness Week, but because of the way in which the business of the House is conducted it has only just now come up for debate. I am pleased that it is now before the House and that people from all sides are listed to speak on it.

The mining of asbestos is akin to subjecting workers to a possible death sentence, as is the export of asbestos. It is something that I simply cannot understand, with the knowledge that we have, as I cannot understand why some countries continue to mine and export it. Canada and Russia are on the list of supporters of the asbestos trade. There is actually a town called Asbestos in Canada and a town called Asbest in Russia, the latter being something I have previously raised in this House.

It is hard to know where to start, because so much needs to be done and so much needs to be said. There is the matter of the large amounts of asbestos we have in our public and private buildings and indeed in our own homes. Home renovators are more at risk than ever because so many people are now doing home renovations; it is a popular and good thing to do, but some people would not even be aware they are dealing with asbestos. Domestic residences or premises are also largely unregulated, although there are some regulations in that area.

At a national level all types of asbestos are banned for use in Australia. Further, since 2003 it has been illegal to import, store, supply, sell or use such materials. The management of asbestos and related issues is a matter for each jurisdiction in our federal system. There are health and safety aspects and workplace issues within respective jurisdictions. There are laws at state and territory levels about the handling and removal of asbestos and strict penalties for noncompliance. However, there are some gaps across all jurisdictions.

The New South Wales Ombudsman prepared a report entitled Responding to the asbestos problem: the need for significant reform in New South Wales, dated November 2010. The report stated:

… there is no single government agency responsible for coordinating the management and containment of asbestos … there are gaps in asbestos legislation and funding to deal with these issues is inadequate.

The report further pointed out that local government was the first point of contact for the community and said that many lacked knowledge and understanding of their role in the regulation of asbestos. I can understand that, but we all have to come to grips with this massive problem that really is of epidemic proportions. I want to say that I am not targeting a particular state or territory jurisdiction. It is just that New South Wales is the state I live in and the one that I read most about.

I would also like to add that when Councillor Jenny Dowell, the Mayor of Lismore City Council, saw that I had this matter listed for debate she sent me an email saying that it was 'excellent' that I had done so. She said:

Local government is at the forefront of managing approvals for the removal and disposal of asbestos. From time to time we are faced with illegal dumping et cetera but the biggest impact is that of disease and death for workers and the thousands of home renovators.

That was the point at which I started. I further note that the Ombudsman's report stated that it looked at 152 council websites and found no consistency in the information provided to the public. Again, I can understand that this is a difficult area.

My motion lists a whole range of things. Firstly, and importantly, it notes the occurrence of National Asbestos Week, which has now passed but which was current when I gave notice of the motion. It recognises the proactive actions of the Australian government in this area and commends the Australian government for a number of really good measures that have been put in place. We are tackling this nationally. It also needs to be done at state level. Some of the occupational health legislation can help in that area. There is also the international aspect, because we know that asbestos is mined in various places. We know that its use is still huge in the Asia-Pacific region, which is our region, and that asbestos is exported.

I would like to commend the Parliamentary Group on Asbestos Related Disease that was set up in this place. A lot of members on all sides take part in that, including ministers and shadow ministers. We all attend because we know that this is something we really have to grapple with. I commend Senator Lisa Singh for setting up that group and also the honourable member for McMillan, who supports this group. When he spoke on the night on which the group met he thanked Senator Singh—giving credit where credit was due, in that it was her initiative. The guest speaker was journalist/writer Matt Peacock, who is a leading light in bringing to public attention the dangers of asbestos. Decades ago he published material on this matter, including on the problems associated with asbestos at the James Hardie mine in Baryulgil, in my seat of Page. There was considerable trauma and disease, and that is ongoing, because asbestos problems are not something that disappear overnight. As recently as 8 November 2011 Matt Peacock reported a telling and deadly documentary on Foreign Correspondent about India's use and importation of asbestos from Canada. So my motion lays out some of the good action that has been taken and will continue to be taken. It really speaks for itself. We are also working to get a lot of areas in order. There was a loan agreement with New South Wales—and I pay tribute to the honourable member for Charlton, who did a lot to bring that to the public's attention and who helped to make that happen; there were funds for the Asbestos Disease Research Institute; and there was the ratification of the ILO Convention concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos and the leadership regarding the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

I support a worldwide ban on asbestos—full stop. It is just something that needs to be left in the ground. I note that in some countries where they say it is asbestos free, if there is a one per cent inclusion of asbestos in it, they can still have that branding on it. Some of the things that we need to continue to do are to raise awareness of asbestos hazards, build alliances with like-minded countries and pursue further restriction on asbestos by listing chrysotile asbestos in annex III of the Rotterdam convention. We also need to build capacity in developing countries, assist with developing domestic asbestos management regimes with the removal and lobby countries which oppose or do not actively support asbestos removal to change their positions.

At the ALP National Conference, where I was a delegate, we did a number of things to change the platform. We said we wanted Australia to continue to lead international calls for a global treaty to ban the use of and trade in asbestos. We will host an international conference in 2012, the Global Alliance Against the Asbestos Hazard, in collaboration with the ILO and other like-minded organisations, to build support for international action on asbestos. We also hope that AusAID can help develop an aid program which supports better education about the risks posed by asbestos.

Photo of Maria VamvakinouMaria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

8:10 pm

Photo of Darren ChesterDarren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Photo of Maria VamvakinouMaria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The House notes the interest of the member for Corangamite as well.

Photo of Darren ChesterDarren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to join the debate this evening. I commend the member for Page for her motion on National Asbestos Awareness Week and also for her advocacy work in issues associated with safety surrounding the handling of asbestos products and the possible spread of asbestos related disease. I recently had the opportunity to witness the member's advocacy work firsthand when she was in Sale as the Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, which was looking into opportunities to expand the Sale RAAF base. She took the opportunity to question the officials from the Department of Defence about ensuring that whatever work was going to take place there would be safe in protecting of the workers and subcontractors on the site as well as the service personnel there. She has a very real commitment and I admire her passion and determination in this particular area.

The motion is quite an extensive one, as the previous speaker indicated. I will focus my comments tonight on the key points as they affect Gippslanders. As a bit of a personal perspective, from my dealings with people in my community and also with my own family, the issue of asbestos related disease is very real for many people in Gippsland. From my own experience, my father was a plumber, and he often used to tell the story about how, as a young bloke and an apprentice, he and his mates would bundle up the loose product and throw it at each other. It was a bit of fun after work, I think, for the boys, the young apprentices, on the job, not knowing of course the risks that they were exposing themselves to. My own father died of lung cancer four years ago, and I cannot help wondering whether some of that was related to his exposure. It did not help that a lot of young boys in those days smoked a lot. We now know the risks associated with smoking and with exposure to asbestos, and it could not have helped those young fellows.

At an industry level, the exposure to asbestos is a key concern for workers rights across the Gippsland and La Trobe Valley area. We have many people who are currently employed, or who were previously employed, in heavy industries, particularly associated with the power sector. We are fortunate in Gippsland to have a group known as the Gippsland Asbestos Related Disease Support Group, which I will refer to more extensively in a few moments time.

With these factors in mind, I have no hesitation in supporting the motion as put to the House tonight by the member for Page, nor in supporting the Parliamentary Group on Asbestos Related Disease, which the previous speaker also referred to and whose launch coincided with National Asbestos Awareness Week. I congratulate Senator Lisa Singh and my neighbour in Gippsland, the member for McMillan, Russell Broadbent, for co-chairing that group. The group is designed to raise awareness of asbestos related disease, and on the evening of its formation Mr Broadbent commented that Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos related disease in the world, with nearly 10,000 recorded cases of mesothelioma since records began in the 1980s. He also indicated at the time that there is an increasing rate of diagnosis in women, as we begin to experience what they are describing as a third wave of sufferers from the home renovation era, which the member for Page also referred to. I quote one thing that Russell Broadbent said on the night:

Too many lives have been affected by asbestos related disease and together we must work together to address the asbestos-related issues. PGARD aims to be a conduit between the local community and the parliament on asbestos related issues.

I congratulate Senator Singh, Mr Broadbent and the member for Page for taking that bipartisan approach to what is a very serious issue in our community.

The scale of the problem facing Australia and the rest of the world should not be underestimated. The motion before the House recognises that Australian citizens suffer one of the highest rates of asbestos related disease in the world, and the widespread use of these products has been described to me by people in my electorate as something of a ticking time bomb on industrial sites and in residential homes throughout the nation. Even tonight, as I was watching the ABC evening news, there was reference to asbestos being found today on the foreshore at Kingston. In this case it was bonded material, and the authorities are very confident that it can be disposed of effectively and efficiently, but it indicates that this is an ongoing issue that we are going to be dealing with for many years to come.

The biggest risk, and the member for Page referred to it, is the home renovation sector, and in particular the ignorance of the potential threat that is out there. I am concerned that many Australians will be putting their own health at risk and the health of their families, their neighbours and their work colleagues if they are unaware of the potential risk posed by asbestos in the workplace or at home. We have made some massive improvements in the past decade and beyond in the identification of asbestos in the workplace. The OH&S laws that have been brought into place have been useful in that regard, but it is in the home environment that I think the biggest risk lies for us. If a home was built or renovated in the years leading up to 1985 it is most likely that it will contain asbestos somewhere. I understand that if it is left undisturbed it does not normally pose any health risk to anyone, and apart from monitoring it and perhaps painting it to make sure it remains in a stable condition there is no cause for homeowners to be alarmed. But where it does pose a significant health risk is in circumstances where it is disturbed during renovations or in demolition of houses where the asbestos fibres can be released into the air and inhaled. That can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

When I was a young fellow my father was one who used to occasionally take on contracts to demolish homes. As young boys we would go out there and join in the demolition. It was great fun getting the sledgehammer into the walls, the AC sheeting and everything else. I am sure that we should have been wearing more safety equipment than the gloves and the pair of old boots that we were issued with for the job. It is these sort of things where, through ignorance, well-meaning people who do not understand the risks they are taking have perhaps participated in jobs—in my case a bit of home demolition work, but I am sure in other cases it will be people doing renovation in the future—where they do not really know what they are dealing with.

It is good that we have come a long way since those days, but I want to go back to what I referred to a little earlier about the work of a group in my electorate called the Gippsland Asbestos Related Disease Group. I am not sure that every community is as fortunate as we are in Gippsland to have a group like this working on a daily basis to raise awareness and to help educate the public about the potential risks that are out there. GARDS, as it is known, plays a very important role in my community: firstly, in raising awareness of the risk of exposure to asbestos, but also in advocating on behalf of the sufferers. The work includes GARDS volunteers offering a telephone support service and drop-in service at their office. It organises meetings where guest presenters come along and let people know what the potential risks are and providing information on support services that are out there. The advocacy work is perhaps focused more on improving health support services and compensation arrangements to asbestos sufferers and their families.

I have recently had the opportunity to meet with the chief executive of GARDS, a lady by the name of Vicki Hamilton, who was here in Canberra for the launch of the parliamentary group. She works tirelessly to represent the interests of the sufferers in my community and their families. As we all recognise, the asbestos diseases are particularly insidious and they really do have an impact on the entire family. So it is important that the work of GARDS recognises the impact it does have on families. Vicki is a lady who has enormous compassion for the people she is working with and working for, but she is also determined to make a difference and reduce the incidence of further outbreaks of asbestos related diseases. She is a very strong advocate and a fierce champion. It is fair to say you would not want to mess with a lady like Vicki Hamilton. When she gets something in her mind that she is going to do, she does it to the best of her ability. We are fortunate to have her working on the asbestos related diseases support group in Gippsland.

The important point to note as we debate the motion tonight is that there is a concern that the rate of malignant mesothelioma is expected to rise from 2012 to 2020. It is also worth reinforcing, in the opportunity I have here tonight, to anyone who may be listening, that there is no safe exposure to asbestos fibres. Part of the role that we have here in this parliamentary group, and also the role that Vicki Hamilton has in my electorate with the Gippsland group, is in educating people. There are a lot of home renovators out there at the moment. They are mainly men and it is fair to say that blokes are not always the best in looking after their own health. They perhaps have an attitude that it will not happen to them or a bit of a crash or crash-through approach to home renovation job. So it is important that the education campaign that does roll out is understood by everyone—and I mean everyone—so the wives, girlfriends and children might also encourage their loved ones to take the appropriate precautions.

There are a couple of points to remember. One is that if you do not know what the product is you are dealing with in the home environment you should always assume that it does have some element of asbestos in it and take the appropriate precautions. It is also worth reminding people that they can get a licensed person to dispose of the product or seek advice from groups like the asbestos related disease support group in my electorate, which has developed things like the 'Asbestos in the home removal kit'. That is another very positive step that other communities could take. It is an innovation from the Gippsland group which has been very well received in my community. But the best advice of all is that, if you are not confident in doing the job safely yourself, call in the experts. They come in at about the price of any other qualified tradesperson, but what price do you put on your family's health and on your own health.

Safe disposal is a very key point and there are many cases still occurring in our community of dumping of asbestos products. It is outrageous to think that someone would expose others in the community to a risk like that, but there are many cases of that. I am looking forward to continuing to work with my colleague the member for McMillan and others like the member for Page and Senator Singh to make sure we do whatever we can in this place to reduce the incidence of asbestos related diseases in the community.

8:20 pm

Photo of Stephen JonesStephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I am pleased to follow the member for Gippsland and join the member for Page in speaking on this motion tonight noting Asbestos Awareness Week. I would also pay tribute to a couple of activists on this issue from my own electorate of Throsby in New South Wales, in particular our local branch member Jim David, who spoke very passionately on this matter at a branch meeting that I attended a few weeks ago and urged me to raise this matter in parliament. I do so willingly. Shirley Sheed, who is a local activist from Port Kembla and a very strong activist in the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia has been putting her time and energy behind this issue for many, many decades.

The battle for justice for victims of asbestos diseases is very important to me personally, and I have been engaged in it for many years as well. Like many Australians and many people in this place, I have lost friends to the horrible disease of mesothelioma and have family members who suffer from asbestos related diseases. I am proud to have followed in the footsteps of those before me in the Australian union movement who have been campaigning on asbestos since the 1960s. As I have already noted in this place, in 2005 I had the great honour to go to work with the ACTU as part of their legal team in negotiating with James Hardie and their representatives in the campaign and ultimate settlement to bring some justice to the sufferers who have asbestos related diseases. Campaigning for justice against James Hardie, a company that sought to abdicate both their responsibilities in relation to asbestos products and their social responsibilities, was a defining experience in my life. I met many great Australians, including Bernie Banton and his wife and many other brave Australians who campaigned hard to get justice for themselves while they were suffering from those terrible diseases.

Tonight I want to talk briefly about the point that is raised in paragraph (7) of the member for Page's motion. It is about the international situation, and Canada in particular. It is a great shame that, while asbestos is virtually banned for use in Canada, that country continues to trade in white asbestos to India and indeed accounts for about 95 per cent of the international trade in asbestos products. In doing this, Canada relies on the fact that asbestos use is legal in India. What we know about the export of asbestos from Canada and other countries is that the products are being exported not to the First World but rather to developing countries, countries that can least afford the health impacts of asbestos related diseases now and for many decades into the future.

The member for Gippsland mentioned the threat that is posed to home renovators. You do not have to walk far in my suburb to see houses, sheds, garages, fences and roofs made out of asbestos and asbestos products. I have a great fear that the long tail of asbestos related diseases will be with us for some time to come. I echo the concerns and sentiments of the member for Gippsland and the member for Page in this regard. Accordingly, I think it is a great shame that the Canadian government continues to support the asbestos industry, because we know that each day that the export of asbestos related products goes on prolongs the suffering and the disease that is created when those products are put into the economy and into people's suburbs.

It is a catastrophic situation for the people of India. The true costs of asbestos are being hidden from the people of India. If the hidden medical costs were properly taken into account, there is no way that asbestos would continue to be seen and used as a cheap building material. For these reasons, I am proud to add my voice in support of this motion and to urge all other members in this place to support it and to get behind the recently formed Parliamentary Group on Asbestos Related Disease, to raise awareness and advocacy and urge further action, parliamentary and otherwise, to fight the scourge that is asbestos and asbestos related disease. I commend the motion to the House.

8:25 pm

Photo of Craig KellyCraig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise tonight to support this motion on Asbestos Awareness Week, to congratulate the member for Page for putting it together and to support the comments from the members for Gippsland and Throsby. This is a rather long motion, but there are a few clauses which I think need to be highlighted. One is clause (2), which says that the House:

… recognises the proactive actions of the Australian Government in mitigating the possible spread of asbestos related diseases through continuing bans on the production and use of asbestos as well as strict controls on the removal and disposal of existing material;

Those bans actually came in in 1991, when we had a complete ban on the use of asbestos in Australia. The only thing I can say to that is that it is a bit disappointing that it took so many years to do. The dangers of asbestos were known decades before 1991, yet asbestos continued to be used throughout the seventies and eighties, which means that no doubt in years to come we will continue to see a lot of people suffering from asbestos related diseases. The bans should have been brought in decades earlier, when we knew the problems that we had.

The other part of a motion that I think needs commenting on is paragraph (3)(e), which says that the Australian government supports:

… harmonisation of health and safety legislation which will provide, for the first time, a uniform framework for the minimisation of exposure, the removal of asbestos, and the management of asbestos materials in the workplace;

As other members have commented, there is a lot of home renovation going on. A lot of people are working on renovating old houses, and it is very important that steps are taken and safety standards are put into place to make sure that these people are not exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos diseases have been found to take 20 years to develop and they affect people from all walks of life. It is not only people who were directly exposed to industries and workplaces where there was a lot of asbestos; many people who have had no contact with industry or with building sites have still succumbed to asbestos related diseases. Clause (5) of the motion states that the government:

… extends its profound sympathies to all individuals suffering asbestos-related diseases as well as their friends and families and the friends and families of those who have passed away as a result of asbestos-related diseases;

It is tragic that we have lost so many people so far to asbestos related diseases, but unfortunately it appears that for the next 20 years we are still going to have this problem going on. Therefore it is important that the government continues to support research in this field and treatment and care for people who have suffered.

In my electorate of Hughes, Newbridge Heights Public School recently had an issue with asbestos from a fire that occurred 14 years ago at the school. A lot of the building rubble from the fire was actually buried on the school grounds. We should thank one of the local residents, a parent called Linda Lambourne, who was vigilant in exposing this and bringing it to the school's attention that asbestos had been found in the schoolyard. Hopefully the remediation work being undertaken on that will make sure there are no problems at Newbridge Heights.

We should learn from the mistakes and the time that it took us to bring in proper regulations to regulate asbestos, especially in view of the many other types of pollution we have in our environment today, particularly air pollution and the particulate matters known as PM10 and PM2.5. It was interesting that a recent national environment protection of ambient air quality study in Australia noted:

Overall, the results of health reviews show that there were significant health effects at current levels of air pollution in Australian cities. These findings indicate that the current standards are not meeting the requirements of adequate protection of human health. There is evidence that these standards should be revised to minimise the impact of air pollution on the health of the Australian population. The finding is strongly supported by all stakeholders throughout the consultation process.

I was very surprised to discover that currently in Australia we have no compliance standards for the particulate matter PM2.5 and we have no annual average standards for PM10. These are things we need to look at, especially in areas of Western Sydney. We need to make sure that everything we are doing in government is to give the best quality air to our residents and to bring Australian standards up to international standards for particulate matter. We do not want to see a repeat of the mistakes we have made in the past with the time it has taken to bring in thorough regulations on asbestos. (Time expired)

8:30 pm

Photo of Tony ZappiaTony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I commend the member for Page for bringing this motion before the House. I also acknowledge the contributions made by all of the other speakers so far. It is good to see that this motion does have cross-party support.

In 2005, a memorial was unveiled at Pitman Park in the City of Salisbury in memory of the people who suffered or died from asbestos related illnesses. It was established by the Asbestos Victims Association of South Australia. Each year in November, a memorial service is held at the site and as part of the service a white wooden cross is placed in the ground adjacent to the memorial with the name of each of the people who have died because of asbestos since the Asbestos Victims Association began keeping records. Each year I attend the service; each year there are more white crosses in the ground.

In most cases, those who died did so from work related illness or family members who were indirectly exposed to the deadly asbestos fibres from the work clothes being brought home. Sadly, thousands more will die in the coming years even though, since 31 December 2003, it has been illegal in Australia to use, reuse or sell any products containing any form of asbestos. For many, it was too late. The fibres were in their bodies and they now face a slow and painful death from an insidious disease. What makes the issue more controversial is that asbestos continued to be used for well over 100 years after its dangers were first exposed. The owners of asbestos mines and those who manufactured asbestos products were not merely negligent—they knowingly promoted a dangerous product.

Thanks to the efforts of so many people around the world, the use of asbestos has now been banned in many countries. However, the asbestos fight is only the tip of the iceberg. Firstly, asbestos continues to be used in disadvantaged countries where people are poorly educated. Secondly, the asbestos story applies to many other commonly used products where manufacturers are aware of the risks but the evidence is inconclusive. From tobacco companies to chemical companies, and manufacturers of IT equipment, serious concerns have been raised about the long-term use of other commonly used products. At least with tobacco, the health warnings are very clear and for most people it is a matter of choice with the full knowledge of the risk.

The worldwide asbestos campaign is about the responsibilities of governments and regulators. It is about the ethics of industry. It is about justice and injustice. As with the life of the legendary cricketer Basil D'Oliveira, whom we debated in the House earlier today, where the more profound impact of his life was not on cricket but on the issue of racial discrimination, the asbestos campaign is about the exploitation of human life for greed and profit.

In respect to that, I join in the comments of other speakers that I too am astounded at the Canadian government's decision to refuse to allow the addition of chrysotile asbestos fibres to the Rotterdam Convention. Chrysotile asbestos, otherwise known as white asbestos, is a major export product of that country. Whilst I could understand a private company wanting to pursue its operations, I cannot understand a government being part of the export of that product. This is a point made in the newsletter of the Asbestos Victims Association of South Australia—that very same Canadian government that is agreeing to export this product is simultaneously removing asbestos from its 1928 parliamentary building. The convention is a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation to the importation of hazardous chemicals. Canada is the only G8 country objecting to the listing. I believe that this government ought to do what it can to encourage Canada to support the listing.

Lastly, I pay tribute and commend the work of Terry Miller, Kat Burge, Pam Sandys and Tony Henstridge who are the volunteers who man and support the Asbestos Victims Association in South Australia. Their tireless work in support of the victims, the victims' families, their advocacy against the use of asbestos and their community education and awareness campaigns are an absolute credit to them. From my experience of working with them and seeing what they do, their work is truly invaluable, and I thank them for it.

8:35 pm

Photo of Dan TehanDan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the motion in front of the House tonight. The motion is:

That this House:

(1) notes that as National Asbestos Awareness Week is formally recognised, it makes earnest representation to the Government to continue to call on Canada to ratify the listing of chrysotile asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent;

(2) recognises the proactive actions of the Australian Government in mitigating the possible spread of asbestos related diseases through continuing bans on the production and use of asbestos as well as strict controls on the removal and disposal of existing material;

(3) commends the Australian Government on a number of measures that have been put into place to manage and compensate the victims of asbestos related diseases which include:

(a) the recent ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Asbestos Convention, as one of the first ILO Conventions to be ratified by the Commonwealth Government since 2006;

(b) Australian leadership on a strong closing declaration by 66 countries at the 2011 Conference of the Rotterdam Convention, which expressed deep concern that the listing of chrysotile asbestos had been prevented by a small number of parties and resolved to move forward to list chrysotile asbestos in Annex III;

(c) the $5 million grant made to support the Asbestos Disease Research Institute Bernie Banton Centre;

(d) funding for the new Australian Mesothelioma Registry, which was launched in 2010 to gather more detailed and accurate information on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases;

(e) support for the harmonisation of health and safety legislation which will provide, for the first time, a uniform framework for the minimisation of exposure, the removal of asbestos, and the management asbestos materials in the workplace;

(f) the establishment of the Asbestos Management Review in late 2010 to recommend strategies for the development of a national strategic plan to improve asbestos awareness, management and removal;

(g) the loan agreement with the NSW Government to ensure asbestos victims and their families continue to receive payments through the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund; and

(h) the $1.5 million Comcare Asbestos Innovation Fund which sponsors programs and research to prevent and better manage asbestos exposure, as well as improve treatment for asbestos-disease sufferers;

(4) notes the unwelcome inheritance that asbestos has left on the Australian community, which sees Australian citizens suffering one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world, with the effects of asbestos mining still being suffered by many, mostly Indigenous and past employees of James Hardie's operation at Baryulgil in the electoral division of Page, and the poor health and mortality they and their families suffer;

(5) extends its profound sympathies to all individuals suffering asbestos-related diseases as well as their friends and families and the friends and families of those who have passed away as a result of asbestos-related diseases;

(6) notes the current and potential damage that imported asbestos is creating to the people in the Asia Pacific region where, despite these well documented health risks, it remains an attractive commodity due to its low cost compared to other comparable building material;

(7) calls upon the Canadian Government to recognise the potentially catastrophic health and social implications of Canada's production and sale of asbestos and products containing asbestos to these lower socio-economic markets; and

(8) supports the Australian Government in using strong diplomatic efforts to convince the Canadian Government to cease both production and trade in asbestos.

The one aspect of this motion I will just touch on tonight is the issue of our bilateral relationship with Canada. I note the special relationship we have with Canada. We cooperate very well with Canada in multilateral forums and we have a strong economic and trade relationship. Canada is Australia's 21st largest merchandise trading partner, with the two-way trade totalling $3 billion in 2010. We also have a mutual investment relationship.

So, in supporting the call for the Australian government to make strong diplomatic efforts to convince the Canadian government, I also call on the government to make sure it does this in a way which reflects the very strong relationship we have with Canada. They are our ally. We have a very good relationship which dates back many years. I therefore think that we should use science, facts and our experience with asbestos in Australia to convince them of the path we think we should go down. That is the type of diplomatic activity we should use. Canada has been a longstanding friend and ally of our country and I think that if we go to them with a very sound argument—one based on the science and the health facts arising from our experience here in Australia—down the track we will be able to get Canada to understand where we are coming from. (Time expired)

8:40 pm

Photo of Julie OwensJulie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I also would like to thank the member for Page for moving this motion and for reminding us all how important it is that the Australian government continues to call on Canada to ratify the listing of chrysotile asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. We in Australia know asbestos very well. In the 15 years after World War II, 52 per cent of all houses built in the state of New South Wales were made of fibro. In my electorate, where building was intense at that time in Wentworthville, Pendle Hill and Toongabbie, there are some local government areas where 90 per cent of the houses are made from fibro.

Australia suffers one of the highest rates of incidence of mesothelioma—the worst of the asbestos related diseases—in the world, with estimates of 13,000 cases by 2020 and a further 40,000 to 45,000 cases of asbestos related cancer. This is a dreadful disease which hangs around in the community and shows itself some 40, 50 or 60 years after exposure to the fibres.

Many in my community think of India as part of the family—their mums and their dads and their cousins still live there. So to think that a country like India, which is growing so fast, is continuing to use this product and that it is being exported there from a country where you could not even give it away—Canada—is truly shocking. The use of asbestos in India has increased by more than 300 per cent in the last couple of decades. A very wise man, Dr. Sanjay Chaturvedi, said it quite well when he said:

… the burden of industrial pollution reaches the developing world much faster than the fruits of industrial growth.

There can be no doubt that, as the global demand for asbestos decreased, there were companies which aggressively sought out countries where the building boom was on but where the health and worker safety regulations were still developing. Such countries will face a future very similar to ours. We in the world who have handled asbestos for many years should know better. We should not doubt how profoundly appalling some of the behaviour of asbestos producers has been in the past and how appalling it continues to be.

The world has known about the dangers of asbestos for many, many years. It was known by the Greeks, and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noticed that women who wove asbestos into cloth commonly displayed a sickness of the lungs. The first modern registered death from asbestos exposure was in 1899—40 years before James Hardie opened its plant in my electorate. It was a 33-year-old man who died from asbestos related disease. He had worked in an asbestos textile factory for 14 years and, of the nine other people who worked with him, he was, when he died, the only one to have survived until then. In 1906, the French made recommendations that asbestos workplaces should be ventilated. In 1916, Prudential Insurance in the US decided that they would no longer give life insurance to asbestos workers. In 1917 and 1918, there was more research in the US and James Hardie set up their plant—without appropriate worker safety practices. The first diagnosis of asbestosis was in 1924, following the death of a 33-year-old woman who had been working with asbestos since she was 13. A subsequent study showed that 25 per cent of asbestos workers in England had lung disease. The first workers compensation claim for asbestos was in 1927, involving a foreman in a textile plant in Massachusetts. By the thirties, when James Hardie opened its plant in Australia, a significant amount of scientific knowledge had been accumulated about asbestos-related disease. The US made asbestosis a work compensatable disease in 1941—many years ago, and yet we still have Canada selling this material to developing countries. The first Australian case of mesothelioma was a miner from Wittenoom—in 1962. Later research identified over 658 cases leading up to 1979. James Hardie put a warning on its product in 1978 and stopped producing it in 1982 but continued to sell its stockpile until 1987—appalling behaviour. I commend the motion to the House. (Time expired)

8:46 pm

Photo of Michael McCormackMichael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Awareness weeks are part and parcel of the national health calendar, and that is a good thing. They bring what is often much-needed publicity to what in many cases were once little known or thought about ailments and illnesses. By highlighting the causes, symptoms and where possible cures of certain conditions, the general public, media outlets, parliaments and most importantly sufferers and their families can come to know more about some of the health-related afflictions which beset our modern world. Importantly, understanding illnesses and appreciating just what people affected by them are going through goes a long way towards improving health services to combat them. That is what these awareness weeks are all about.

These days, one of the most important awareness weeks is that pertaining to asbestos. In Australia, bans continue on the production and use of asbestos and strict controls are in place for the removal and disposal of existing material. This is how it must be. A $5 million Commonwealth grant has been allocated to support the Asbestos Disease Research Institute Bernie Banton Centre. This is appropriate and commendable. Funding has also been provided for the new Australian Mesothelioma Registry, launched in 2010 to compile more accurate and detailed information on mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases. This takes in support for the harmonisation of health and safety legislation which for the first time will put in place a uniform framework for the minimisation of exposure, the removal of asbestos and the management of asbestos materials in the workplace.

There are also the provisions of the loan agreement with the New South Wales government to ensure asbestos victims and their families continue to receive payments through the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund. This fund is unfortunately going to be increasingly necessary into the future. As well, there is the $1.5 million Comcare Asbestos Innovation Fund, which sponsors programs and research to prevent and better manage asbestos exposure, as well as improve treatment for asbestos-disease sufferers.

Ongoing research is vitally important. All too sadly, Australia suffers one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world, with the effects of asbestos mining still being suffered by many. More is the pity that in the Asia-Pacific region where, despite what we know here in Australia and as is well documented worldwide, asbestos remains an attractive commodity because of its low cost compared to other comparable building materials. According to the Victorian government's Better Health channel, Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world. This is due to the high rate of asbestos use and mining over many decades.

Since the early 1980s more than 10,000 individuals have succumbed to mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos and, according to cancer experts, an additional 25,000 Australians are expected to die over the next forty years from this painful and crippling disease. To put it into perspective, in 2007 nearly 600 people were diagnosed with mesothelioma in Australia. Of these new cases, 81 per cent were men. The figures also showed that, as suspected, deaths occurred most often in the age range encompassing those individuals who were 75 to 79 years old. More than 70 per cent of the mesothelioma deaths were among men and women over the age of 65. National trends from 1997 to 2007 show that deaths from mesothelioma steadily increased. Experts suggest that the number of deaths from mesothelioma will peak somewhere between 2014 and 2021, depending on the models used.

Mesothelioma is a rare and often fatal cancer of the mesothelium, the membrane which covers most of the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma can develop decades after exposure to asbestos. Where it cannot be surgically removed, this condition is incurable. In some cases just a whiff of asbestos dust can prove ultimately fatal. Symptoms or signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years, or more, after exposure to asbestos. Studies show that the Australians most at risk of developing mesothelioma include trades such as carpenters, construction workers, electrical engineers, insulation installers, miners, plumbers and shipbuilders.

At Batlow in my Riverina electorate not only did a devastating hailstorm on 9 November last year wipe out the apple crop and strip trees to the extent they will take years to recover but also a major processor now faces asbestos-related damage to a warehouse. This has real and lasting financial implications for this town, for which apples are almost its sole economic means. Hopefully assistance will be forthcoming to Batlow as it tries to build a future after being hit with more setbacks than could be deemed fair. I commend the motion to the House.

Photo of Kelvin ThomsonKelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The time for the debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.