The NDP have tabled a bill to make lists of public buildings that contain asbestos available to the public.

Cam Broten, NDP health critic and author of the private member's bill says this province already has a list of public buildings which contain asbestos, so creating a public registry with that list is common sense and it's the right thing to do.

He says for a family choosing a personal care home, a tradesperson heading to a jobsite or a contractor planning a construction job, having an asbestos registry could be an important part of making informed decisions.

Government-owned buildings, health care facilities and schools would be covered under the new law.

Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan says maintaining a central registry may give people a false sense of security and the best assumption anyone can make is that all buildings built before 1980 contain asbestos.