Bill C-404 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products)

This enactment provides for natural health products to be zero-rated for the purposes of the goods and services tax.

Natural Health Products

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from more than 380 people about natural health products. The petitioners note that Canadians support the use of natural health products to promote health and wellness. They note that improved access to natural health products will help Canadians to better manage their own health and relieve pressure on the Canadian health care system.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the GST from them and enacting Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products).

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my final petition involves a private member's bill, Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products). There are 564 signatures on this petition from my own riding; Qualicum Beach; Parksville; Brandon, Manitoba; London, Ontario; and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Canadians are asking that support for the use of national health products is widely accepted in our society to promote health and wellness and improved access to natural products would allow Canadians to better manage their own health and relieve pressure on the health system.

The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to enact Bill C-404 and take the GST off natural products and make them more available to Canadians to help promote wellness and health.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present three petitions from my constituents. The first is signed by 92 people.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the goods and services tax on them and by enacting Bill C-404.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions on two different subjects. I have a group of petitions on Bill C-404. There are about 500 signatures coming from Kelowna and Surrey in British Columbia and as far away as Quebec.

The petitioners call on Parliament to take note that the weight of modern scientific evidence confirms the mitigation and prevention of many diseases and disorders through the judicious use of natural health products. They note that Canadians support the use of natural health products to promote wellness and health.

They call on Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the GST from natural health products and implementing Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products).

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition also deals with an important issue and contains about 1,800 signatures. It has to do with the fact that Canadians use natural health products for health and wellness, and that the weight of modern scientific evidence confirms the mitigation and prevention of many diseases and disorders through judicious use of natural health products.

The petitioners are asking the government to remove the GST and provide greater access to natural health products by enacting Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act.

[Colin Mayes, Conservative, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from my constituents of Okanagan—Shuswap. The petitioners are calling on Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the goods and services tax on them and enacting Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is about 17 pages of signatures from people in Surrey, B.C., Delta, B.C., Regina, Manitoba and Ontario, concerning Bill C-404.

The petitioners call upon the government to recognize that natural health products promote health and wellness. They ask for improved access to natural health products that would allow Canadians to better manage their own health and relieve pressure on the Canadian health care system.

They call upon Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural products by removing the goods and services tax on them and enacting Bill C-404, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition has to do with GST on natural health products.

The petitioners note that the weight of modern scientific evidence confirms the mitigation and prevention of many diseases and disorders through the judicious use of natural health products. Canadians support the use of natural health products to promote health and wellness. They note that improved access to natural health products would allow Canadians to better manage their own health and relieve pressure on the Canadian health system.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the GST on them and enacting Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products).

Excise Tax Act

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products).

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a very short bill. It simply would provide an exemption from the GST for natural health products, as defined in the regulations.

I would just note that a survey from March 2005 indicated that 71% of Canadians have used NHPs, 77% of Canadians believe NHPs can be used to promote health and 58% believe they can even be used to treat illness.

The bill would simply help people who are promoting their own health by taking vitamins and using nutritional products.

I note that the new food guide includes a recommendation of vitamin D to help with bone metabolism and calcium absorption. Vitamin D will even help in the mitigation of multiple sclerosis. Folic acid is well-known for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. A simple supplement like chromium can help with blood sugar metabolism.

The bill would help Canadians, who are investing in their own health, to accomplish that objective and would probably help the government accomplish its objective of reducing wait times because people who are healthy will not be in the wait lines.

I hope all members will find this an interesting bill and support this project to help all Canadians live a healthier life.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)