Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Well, this is awkward

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, January 28, 2011 1:17pm - 68 Comments

The host of a fundraiser for Michael Ignatieff owns a company that exports asbestos from Quebec.

Their differences on asbestos aside, Ignatieff said he’s happy to attend Chadha’s fundraiser. ”Baljit Chadha is a great guy, personal friend, great businessman,” he said. ”(Asbestos) is a discussion I have with Mr. Chadha, but I’m happy to be there tonight.”

The mining and export of asbestos is as fascinating a test of political leadership as there is in this country. Mr. Ignatieff’s stated objections have already cost him a candidate in Thetford Mines. Stephen Harper supports the industry, but at least two government backbenchers feel otherwise.

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  • gottabesaid

    I hope Ignatieff feels more than just 'awkward.' Sadly, it doesn't appear that he feels anything.

    • hollinm

      He is too politically naive to understand that it is very tough to suck and blow at the same time. After all the appointed Liberal leader thinks that Bill Gates is Secretary of Defence for the U.S. I am waiting for Wherry's blog and all of the negative comments by the Liberal sycophants on this board. Right and if you believe this I have palm trees in Sask for sale.

      • noob_goldberg

        They don't call it the Blue Screen of Death for nothing.

  • Emily

    Who? This guy?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baljit_Singh_Chadha

    You mean Harper is in total and complete agreement on everything with everyone he meets?

    • hollinm

      Liberal apologist. You are one partisan ideologue Emily.

      • brooster2

        Just for interest's sake, what do you consider yourself to be?

        • Jan

          Hollinm just admitted he's a Con insider on another post. But of course he's not partisan.

  • Blue

    The " aw` shucks Wherry " :
    Well Michael thinks Baljit is a great guy and a personal friend, and he really appreciates the fundraising, and he`s just happy to be there, but Michael really doesn`t like that asbestos stuff, `cause it`s all itchy and icky, and he`s gonna have a talk to Baljit about it ……after we pass the hat.

    The " Harper- Hounding Wherry " :
    Harper supports asbestos.

    • danby

      Harper gave a commitment that he will block a UN environmental agreement (the Rotterdam Convention) and prevent chrysotile asbestos from being put on its list of hazardous substances. This would allow Canada to sell asbestos without informing people in developing countries that it is hazardous

      Itchy and icky? This stuff kills people; slow, painful deaths

      Would you like your children working in an environment where information about hazardous materials is suppressed?

      It makes me wonder why an exporter of asbestos is hosting a fundraiser for Mr Ignatieff, when Mr Harper is obviously a much more natural ally.
      While Mr Harper's position is no surprise, I am disappointed with MI.

      • Blue

        You may have missed my sarc. —-Wherry is willing to give Iggy a pass for using a man who profits from the sale of asbestos to raise funds because he says he is going to have a talk with him.
        Harper gets a supporting asbestos role and a link to a Liberal Star article which you gladly quote.

        Kudos to you for pointing out Ignatieff`s hypocrisy, mixed in with a Harper insult.

        • danby

          Sorry, I missed the sarcasm tags!
          I also phrased badly and apologize. I should not have said Mr Harper's position is no surprise. I should have said that his position is clearly stated, which it is. I suppose the reality with MI is that he needs the money – principles be damned. Awkward indeed.
          I'm still puzzled as to why this guy would fund raise for the Liberals.

      • Mike T.

        It makes me wonder why an exporter of asbestos is hosting a fundraiser for Mr Ignatieff, when Mr Harper is obviously a much more natural ally.

        ***

        if the other right wing business friendly party defeats harper and takes office, he'll need an in!

        • Matthew

          Ssshhh! Mike! Iggy doesn't want voters to know he will be governing from the centre-right until after the election! You're going to damage his populist street cred

      • Crit_Reasoning

        It makes me wonder why an exporter of asbestos is hosting a fundraiser for Mr Ignatieff

        Ignatieff won a lot of respect from prominent members of the Sikh community when he took a strong stand on the kirpan controversy. Perhaps not coincidentally, two days later it was announced that "The Honourable Baljit Chadha hosts an intimate conversation with Michael Ignatieff".

        I wonder if the conversation will be intimate enough to include the Hon. Mr. Chadha's asbestos exports.

      • hollinm

        This is all you can say about Ignatieff at his blatant hypocrisy. You are disappointed with MI. The guy has no scruples and you simply are disappointed when as you say this stuff kills people. Oh I forgot. He is a Liberal and therefore all things can be excused. You are disappointed. Shame on you that you can not must enough outrage to call out this faux Canadian.

        I don't want to see any deflection by talking about Harper. This is about Ignatieff and his hypocrisy. Not afraid to take the cash from anybody who is prepared to give it no matter whether "This stuff kills people; slow, painful deaths."

        • danby

          Well, hollinm, if you just stopped cheerleading for two minutes you might notice that the Harper government is no stranger to hypocrisy. Talk of scruples from a government running attack ads when there is no declared election is rich indeed! Ask Richard Colvin what he thinks about CPC scruples.
          Now, in contrast to your slavish devotion to Stephen Harper, I don't think that the sun shines out of MI's arse. He is far from perfect, but quite frankly, I prefer him to the current PM. Yes I'm disappointed in Michael Ignatieff at times, but far more often I am ashamed of the antics of Stephen Harper. His style of politics is not mine.
          Tell me hollinm: is hypocrisy binary , quantitative or qualitative? If it's binary, then every politician on the hill should be wearing the scarlet "H" on their forehead.

      • Mandatory Jedi

        Had it been Harper at a fundraiser you would be screaming blue murder, but since it's your pal Ignatieff…"I am disappointed…"

  • JamesHalifax

    To be fair to Iggy……

    asbestos is…cough…cough……hack……fairly harmless if….cough…hurmph…ack….hack……

    It is encapsulated prior to sale.

    ie. Asbestos siding is very prevalent in Canada today, and we don't order citizens to remove it from their homes.

    Only airborne asbestos is harmful.

    • gottabesaid

      "asbestos is…cough…cough……hack……fairly harmless if….cough…hurmph…ack….hack…… "

      My uncle died after a three-year battle with cancer caused by asbestos. You're a real funny guy.

      • brooster2

        Ditto my father…it's a nasty demise.

      • hollinm

        Get off your high horse. You have first hand experience then and should be calling this guy out instead of simply reflecting disappointment.

        • gottabesaid

          I did call the guy out earlier in the board, thanks. Actually, I was the FIRST person to call him out.

          Stay classy.

    • noob_goldberg

      Sure it's pretty inert when no one is touching it, but we don't allow anyone to install it anymore.

      The problem is that encapsulated asbestos becomes airborne asbestos as soon as someone begins cutting it to size. And since we're shipping it to (for the most part) developing countries with limited training and equipment for those who are indeed building with the asbestos, we're really just exporting cancer.

      But I suppose that's none of our concern. Our moral responsibility ends at our nation's border.

  • Mandatory Jedi

    Summary of Aaron's points, everytime, always

    Ignatieff = good
    Harper = Bad

    • noob_goldberg

      My reading was "Harper = supportive of asbestos mining", and "Ignatieff = awkwardly conflicted". I didn't see any direct judgment calls in Wherry's post.

      Your post, on the other hand, tells me that you think asbestos mining is bad. Perhaps you should relate this concern to the Conservative Party of Canada.

      • Claudia Lemire

        And my reading is that both are wrong, one for supporting it and another for taking blood money, yes Ignatieff blew it here, BIG TIME! In the future when he tries to attack Harper, this LITTLE misguided event, will be there as a reminder!
        There is no amount of money worth having when it will damage your reputation!

  • LdKitchenersOwn

    This is a little weird, and maybe awkward, but if someone wants to spin this it's pretty easy to do so.

    After all, getting a producer of asbestos to help you raise funds for an apparently anti-asbestos political party is a pretty impressive feat! Next thing you know Ignatieff will have Stephen Harper running fundraisers for the Liberals!

    • madeyoulook

      I suspect Harper will be more inclined to fundraise for the NDP and keep the split going strong

  • Leo

    Asbestos use is one of the most evil cover ups out there. Yet if Canada bans exports they will just get it from somewhere else.

    A Toxic Embrace
    India’s Wide Use of Asbestos Brings Dire Warnings http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/asb…

    A Potent Lobby
    In India, asbestos products carry no health warning labels and trade unions have no mandate to prevent asbestos-related disease at workplaces. Although researchers around the world have linked lung cancer and other diseases with exposure to the widely used white, or chrysotile, asbestos, the powerful ACPMA — funded by 12 asbestos companies as well as by the Canada-based Chrysotile Institute — concedes nothing.

    Sources say it also spends significant amounts on lobbying and training — mostly in Canada and Russia — for its staffers. Its already sizable budget is expected to increase as industry output grows — possibly to 600,000 metric tons a year — to meet demand for asbestos-sheet roofing in India’s villages.

    • burlivespipe

      The sale of cigarettes to children is one of the most evil cover ups out there. Yet if Canada bans selling to minors they will just get if from somewhere else. — RJ Reynolds, perhaps?

  • DerekPearce

    I can't believe we mine and export this stuff. It's sleazier than tobacco marketing.

    • Mike T.

      To some extent I can understand that we sell it to countries which have made the decision that it will be legal. What really bothers me is that we export it without even putting warnings on it – that to me should be the acceptable compromise.

    • frobisher

      But wait. It\s 'ethical asbestos'. Better to get it from a steadfast democratic beacon than have the money go some despot, right?

      Right?

      Ezra?

      • Holly Stick

        Right up there with ethical tar and ethical cancer.

  • madeyoulook

    This may be perfectly legitimate, but one main question becomes pretty obvious:

    Just WHEN did Chadha become a "personal friend" to Ignatieff? As in, how recently? As in, was one side of this touching friendly relationship inspired by an attempt to have the leader of the opposition change or soften his stance?

    Perhaps not. Perhaps Chadha and Ignatieff go aways back, and this businessman truly believes the Liberal Party in its current state is the best solution to the challenges facing Canada. But the question deserves an honest answer.

    But good on Ignatieff and the Liberals for actually doing a little fundraising. This "awkward" thing does not argue in favour of forced taxpayer support. It does argue in favour of full disclosure of who is writing the cheques, leaving the media and voters' scrutiny the opportunity to judge motives for ourselves.

    • Jan

      If Chadha was looking to buy unquestioned support for the asbestos industry, you think he would have chosen Harper to support. This is right out in the open , as opposed to all that murky stuff surrounding Paradis.

      • madeyoulook

        According to accusations above (which may well be true), Harper already supports asbestos exports, so there would be nothing for Chadha to buy. Ignatieff does not support asbestos exports, so there is a potential sale to be made here.

        • Jan

          Wouldn't he want to help keep Harper in power, if his sole motivation is preserving his industry?

          • madeyoulook

            If he can get the two leading parties to sing the same tune, it doesn't matter which sings loudest.

            But to get the two leading parties to sing the same tune, he must train the one who is off-key.

          • burlivespipe

            Maybe the sale of asbestos isn't the singular reason Mr Chadha gets out of bed every morning… I know that my personal beliefs are often ill-fitting with what i see in the industry i work in, but one doesn't preclude the coexistance as i work to make my life and those that i love better.

          • madeyoulook

            …which is why I said this may be perfectly legitimate. But I think we are entitled to know just how long ago these two have been "personal friends."

          • Jan

            What could be illegitimate about it?

          • Mike T.

            Actually we are entitled only to know the name and amount given.

            And when one realizes that the average donation is about 1/5 of the total allowable donation, I think it's safe to assume everyone everyone giving the maximum is hoping for something. I suspect the most common reason is "status within the party."

          • madeyoulook

            Well, Ignatieff himself has called him a "personal friend." I am left wondering how personal the friendship is and-or has been, and when this friendship blossomed (i.e. before or after the $ started flowing). Ignatieff is free not to answer that question. And I am free to wonder why he wouldn't.

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            Ignatieff is free not to answer that question. And I am free to wonder why he wouldn't.

            You do realize there's a 99.999999999999% chance that Ignatieff didn't see your question, right?

          • madeyoulook

            I'd have thought the probability would have been higher, but ok.

            But I would have thought I might not be the only one wondering about this "friendship," either. Like, say, a reporter who might inquire about it.

  • tobyornotoby

    Not a problem for the Liberals who generally stand for talking about things passionately while in Opposition and then unable and unwilling to do anything once in office.

    See change, climate.

    • LdKitchenersOwn

      Not a problem for the Liberals who generally stand for talking about things passionately while in Opposition and then unable and unwilling to do anything once in office.

      See: Political Party in Canada, Every

      • tobyornotoby

        See: Two Parties Ever, Only

        • LdKitchenersOwn

          Well, OK, I just don't like to think about that because the thought that the NDP would actually do in government what they say they'd do in opposition actually scares me a little bit.

  • Healthcare Insider

    Health wise, we do some very "sleazy" things. I saw a documentary about computer components being sent to China (illegally) where poor people there disassemble them at great risk to their health. Apparently our govt. inspectors know this is going on but have yet to crack down on the shipments going out. I understand people being outraged about asbestos. What I don't understand is that more people aren't more outraged about cigarettes. We just accept that they are a part of life and they are just as deadly.

  • Stewart_Smith

    I don't understand the kerfluffling up above. Ignatieff's statement on asbestos is that the science indicates it is dangerous, too dangerous to sell. Chadha's view is that the specific type of asbestos from Quebec can be handled safely. It is a disagreement based on technical data and to some extent an assessment of how well the developing countries receiving the material are able to manage its use.

    On both points, I agree with Ignatieff and I am pleased that he is not wavering. It is a sign of maturity that two people can profoundly disagree on an important topic without turning it into a personal issue.

    • Jenn_

      Thanks Stewart. I've been trying to come up with a way to say, basically what you just said, without success.

      If Ignatieff were to suddenly say his good friend has convinced him of the error of his ways and he's now fully in favour of exporting asbestos–yes, then we'd have a problem. But he hasn't said that.

      • Claudia Lemire

        No yet, and I am not saying he will, but to be open to the posibility, it's not a smart move and at the end of the day asbestos money is blood money, it is dissapointing that he chose to look the other way!

  • wilson

    If Paul Martin can do fundraising luncheons with the Tamil Tigers and the media glossed it over,
    I'm sure the Libluvin media will have no problem with Ignatieff and the asbestos exporter.

  • Richard_S_Argent

    Yes, it is awkward. But unless Ignatieff changes his position on asbestos I'll hold off on judgement.

  • Richard_S_Argent

    Even if we are sure that Singh held the fundraiser for personal lobbying purposes, isn't it entirely possible he was lobbying for one of his other concerns?

    If my admittedly shoddy internet research is correct, Singh's interests do not only include asbestos.

    Again, not to say that the optics of the fundraiser aren't awkward, but that doesn't necessarily mean something nefarious is afoot.

    • madeyoulook

      Who is Singh?

      • Richard_S_Argent

        My bad…Singh Chadha.

        Oops. :)

  • madeyoulook

    He is a legitimate businessman carrying on a legal business. He is free to support whichever political party his heart desires.

    • Claudia Lemire

      I wasnt talking about Mr. Chadha, he is free to do whatever he wants, to held a fundraiser for whoever or whatever his heart desires. It was about Mr. Ignatieff, it is morally questionable and he should consider his options, I know money is hard to come by for the Liberals but it is dissapointing. I feel he compromised himself.

      • madeyoulook

        You were talking about "where the money comes from" as being morally questionable. Hence my response.

        • Claudia Lemire

          Fair enough, thanks!

  • Richard_S_Argent

    1) The article linked to states that Chadha is looking to buy an asbestos mine, not that he's an exporter already. I'm not sure if Wherry or CTV is mischaracterizing Chadha's business concerns.

    2) The money raised will be coming from the individuals who are paying $500 each to be present. Chadha's only hosting the event – not donating all the money raised.

    3) You're from Calgary right? I'm curious to know what your feelings are about the oil sands.

    • Claudia Lemire

      Good point, fair enough.

      About the oil sands, what can I say, I am on my way to Dubai,I am in PR work for the oil industry, so I have a favorable opinion, honestly though is an industry that it has it's pros and cons, in Alberta we work very hard to keep it environmentally safe, fair wages, human rights, not as high carbon imprint as other countries, and working everyday to make it better, that's is not to say that has been huge mistakes, some very questionable characters, but until we find a fuel source with no environmentally side effects and that is affordable and practical, we are stuck! I think it does have room for improvment, it's always going to create polemic, you heard bad stories and good ones, it's divided. If you have a chance to read Ezra Levant's book on Ethical Oil, is very good, despite of what you think of him (god knows he really infuriates me) but the book is very good, you learn a lot from it.

      • Claudia Lemire

        Well this is awkard, I meant to say "Carbon footprint", I don't know what I meant to write there, sorry…

  • sourstud

    Funny how none of those Dippers and Liberals who've constantly accused Stephen Harper and the CPC of being in the employ of the Oil Sands aren't here accusing Iggy and the Libs of being in the employ of the Asbestos industry….

  • Anonymous

    I read an article on the exportation of Canadian asbestos to India, where, big shock, they have lax environmental and worker safety rules:
    http://www.weitzlux.com/Asbestos-mines-Canada_1962862.html

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