Evidence of meeting #78 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:20 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
That's definitely the case for American businesses.
You have to be careful not to mix things up, particularly with regard to Canadian companies headquartered in Canada and those whose decision-making centres are in the United States. In my opinion, those aren't Canadian companies, and they currently represent what I would call the industry Goliath. You must not hobble David to help Goliath.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
The bill will come into force one year after it is passed. Do you think that one-year period is enough for businesses to update their products so they can meet the new requirements?
12:20 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
It's absolutely not enough.
It will actually take entrepreneurs at least two years to do so, and, based on my experience, it will take even more time.
12:20 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
If I may, I'd like to add some information to my colleague's remarks.
I apologize for all these technical issues.
With respect to the two-year moratorium, it must be understood that an enormous number of products aren't approved because they don't exist and don't fall into any category of the present approval process in Canada. We've forwarded product lists to Health Canada in the past. They included approximately—
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Excuse me, Mr. Côté, but the sound is not allowing the translator to translate your comments.
Mr. Lévesque read your deputation. We thought maybe the sound problem was corrected, but it is still a problem for the translators.
12:25 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
It's a shame that we cannot fix this kind of issue. I've been working for 25 minutes now....
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I'm so sorry, Mr. Côté, but once the translator says that the sound is not adequate—
12:25 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
We have access to the interpretation. Mr. Côté had started speaking in English, and I heard the interpretation French. It seemed to be working.
12:25 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
If it's easier this way and we can get through the translation issues, I'll go ahead in English.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I'm sorry, but I am not allowed to make that decision. Otherwise, I would be very supportive of your suggestion. The system is what it is.
12:25 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Sophia Nickel
Good afternoon, Mr. Côté.
You may answer the questions asked in the room in writing.
I'm really sorry.
12:25 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Madam Chair, may I ask whether the technical tests were actually conducted before the meeting? We shouldn't be in this situation right now.
12:25 p.m.
The Clerk
The tests were done and he does have an approved House of Commons headset. He's currently wearing it and selected....
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Mr. Côté has done everything right. He has the right headset on and the rest of it is correct. Somewhere the connection is not allowing the translators to be able to hear sufficiently to be able to interpret.
12:25 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
Even if I speak English to the board, there's no way we can proceed?
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Madam Chair, I should have about a minute or a minute and a half left.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Absolutely, you have your time back. I am making that decision. Go ahead.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Ms. Coombs, are any members of your organization opposed to this regulatory change?
12:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
No, we do not have any members with that position. We've been actively working with Health Canada on this file. I think Health Canada even mentioned before the pandemic about having discussions about this regulation.
I think we need to look at it from the perspective of how the use of a foreign decision pathway is going to enable all Canadian businesses, regardless of where that business is located.... It's really about the data package. If that data package isn't commercialized in the U.S., they can bring it here, and Canadian companies can use that data package. As well—as I mentioned in my comments—the National Research Council has created data packages for efficacy so that Canada companies can build on that information to be able to have Canadian registration.
I think the big picture is that this biocides framework, as mentioned by Health Canada, is tailored to those products and has various review streams for all of them to be reviewed and have Canadian approval. As well, it's to have the Canadian label that we need. It helps us with our pandemic preparedness as we go forward, Madam Chair.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks to the witnesses for taking the time to join us here today.
My question is for Ms. Shannon Coombs.
I'd like you to respond to the perspectives shared by other witnesses. Would you agree or disagree? I just want to hear your thoughts.
12:25 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Is that to anyone specifically?
October 31st, 2023 / 12:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
We have had concerns, as we've gone along, with the regulation. I wanted to thank Health Canada for their continued collaboration with all of the industry and stakeholders to hear everyone's concerns about the regulation.
There have been some concerns around fee lines. One was around a novel technology, which is another pathway for review for a new technology brought into Canada. We actually went back and looked at the fees and tried to come up with a way that would address any SME concerns. We are waiting to hear back from Health Canada on that particular point.
I really have to say that this regulation is the gold standard for how a regulation should be developed. There's been extensive consultation. It is science-based. Scientists from the EPA and Health Canada were having discussions about what that regulatory package would look like. In the face of a pandemic, we were able to bring in products through the interim authorities. What was really great was that not only were those products available to Canadians, but also that our member companies were able to donate them to our communities. That's what I would consider a very rapid response in taking that emergency preparedness and actually putting it into the regulations. That's something we should all be very proud of.