Health committee  No, I didn't say—

Health committee  Yes, absolutely, strengthen the transparency. Also, just to understand the problem of neonics is massive. Every corn seed in North America is coated with these toxins, as is every canola seed and almost every soya seed, and it's put on whether or not there's a pest there. The fi

Health committee  A study done in Saskatchewan by a professor at the University of Saskatchewan found neonicotinoids in standing water and ponds around farmers' fields in Saskatchewan in the spring before planting. They were still there before the next season's sprayed seeds being put there. She r

Health committee  Yes, he said that. He supports that there should be sustainability. I don't think sustainability means making pesticides cheaper. I think sustainability means helping farmers find ways to farm without relying on pesticides. That's a lot cheaper than generic pesticides.

Health committee  I tried to capture that in proving the need for pesticides, but that's what's lacking. Once the pesticide is approved, then it's used. When it comes to neonicotinoids, it's used on everything, everywhere. You go to the nursery and buy a flower for your garden because you want to

Health committee  I suggest strongly that you do, because I spoke yesterday to the Ontario Beekeepers Association about this. They are the ones who are reporting the bee losses. Remember, the bees are the livestock of the insect world, so we can count them, but all the other insects we don't coun

Health committee  What they publish is a summary of their decision. They say, “These are the things we've seen and this is how much weight we give each part, so we're concluding that the risks are acceptable.” They don't give us easy access to the actual studies. They don't tell us what studies or

Health committee  Our experience was when the European Union announced its decision on the neonicotinoids. We contacted the PMRA and asked them why Canada was not doing the same thing. When Mr. Aucoin was here, he said that they work with Europe and United States. Well, they do, until Europe makes

Health committee  No.

Health committee  The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is putting restrictions on the use of neonic coatings on soybeans and corn, as they reject that industry portrayal. The neonics are persistent. They get into the soil; they get into the water. There are

Health committee  How recent is it?

Health committee  It's current. More studies are being done daily.

Health committee  In the last two years they have done sampling in Quebec rivers. In the last two years they have done sampling in watercourses in Ontario. Ontario is about to release its report on that study and map it out, for Ontarians to see where pesticides are persisting beyond the planting

Health committee  In fact, part of the reason for the change from agriculture to health was concern about issuing conditional licences, and the practice hasn't stopped. In the documents, when you do get them, the PMRA actually states exactly how many conditional licences are still outstanding. The

Health committee  There are 55 pesticide products, and these are just the neonicotinoids. They're basically different formulations of four or five basic pesticides. Often we're talking about exactly the same chemical with exactly the same condition, and we're still waiting for those things. When