Michaela Keyserlingk lost her husband Robert in 2009 to the rare but deadly asbestos-related cancer malignant mesothelioma. Now, looking to spread awareness of Canada’s contradictory stance on asbestos, Keyserlingk has reportedly been threatened by the conservative Tory party.
According to the Canadian Press, Conservative Party executive director Dan Hilton has warned Keyserlingk to stop using the Tory symbol in an online advertisement campaign she started against the asbestos industry in Canada.
Keyserlingk has reportedly been running an online campaign since the spring, with the banner that features the Tory logo reading “Canada is the only western country that still exports deadly asbestos!”
The widow, of course, is correct, as Canada has been the subject of tremendous scrutiny for its stance on asbestos, exporting the carcinogenic material to developing countries despite its numerous risks, including the potential for diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
Keyserlingk Refusing to Bow to Pressure
Keyserlingk, who says she chose to include the Tory symbol in order to elicit the attention of Conservative Party members and bring them to her website, has refused to back down to the threat from Hilton, who told her that “further action” could ensue.
“I have no permission to use [the logo] and they have a legitimate argument against me… But on a human level they have no legitimacy whatsoever,” Keyserlingk told the Canadian Press. She added that it would not be a wise choice for the Conservative Party to sue her, saying “it’s not as if there are millions sitting here.”
The bottom line, Keyserlingk says, is that she will continue fighting for justice, just as her late husband fought with the deadly illness he contracted while working summer jobs on naval ships as a student, the news source said.
Incidents like these, in which political groups fight to keep a deadly industry alive, are why asbestos lawyers at Kazan, McClain, Satterley, Lyons, Greenwood & Oberman PLC have been fighting for compensation for victims and their families since 1974. When innocent men and women are unknowingly exposed to asbestos, they deserve to be compensated appropriately by the responsible parties.
Ontario Mayor Lashes Out at ‘Shameful’ Tory Threat
In response to the threat leveled towards Keyserlingk, the mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, has reportedly written an email to the Conservative Party of Canada, criticizing its “shameful” tactics used to bully the widow, according to the Globe and Mail.
“Your actions on the asbestos issue… with threatening a widow whose husband died of exposure to asbestos are absolutely shameful,” Bradley wrote in the email to Hilton.
Still, the asbestos industry lives on in Canada, even as 107,000 people around the world die each year from asbestos-related illnesses, according to the World Health Organization.