The member of an Indian health group is accusing Jean Charest of borderline racism because of the Quebec premier's views on asbestos exports to the country. Mohit Gupta of the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India says Charest is dismissing Indians as second-class citizens.

Gupta wrote a letter to Charest this week asking the premier to stop exporting asbestos to India. Quebec rarely uses asbestos in construction projects at home but exports the mineral to developing countries.

Charest visited India in February and said it was necessary to make do with the risks related to asbestos, even in developing countries where labour standards are not always respected.

The asbestos industry fiercely defends the mineral and deems it perfectly safe as long as precautions are followed. Thetford Mines, around 200 kilometres east of Montreal, is the only operational asbestos mine remaining in Canada and employs around 400 workers.

(The Canadian Press / Yahoo News, 28/04/2010)