In your question, Mr. Allen, are the two words “this position”. Japan has a rigorous food safety program, as has Canada. They recognize the efficacy of our program. By specifying “this position”, what it speaks to is that the procedures and protocols that are carried out, whether for domestic or for export consumption in Japan or other countries, are done with the same rigour.
What it speaks to is the fact that Japan asks for processes that are done in different stages, as opposed.... If there's a checklist of 20 items, they're all done, regardless of where the product is going, whether to a domestic location or outside the country. With Japan, they may want to move step seven to step three. That's at their discretion.
That's what CFIA is speaking to in that memo, in saying “this position”. I think the memo is self-explanatory.
To clarify, a secondary memo was sent out on November 16. Mr. Kingston, as he stated last night in his interview as well, said that he met with me early in November, which he did. He talked about this memo and the confusion it was causing. We took that seriously. He sent me a copy of the memo—I think it was on November 18, by the records at the department—and on November 16, I understand, CFIA sent out a clarification on that exact situation, as to what “this position” means.