Agriculture Committee on Nov. 21st, 2007

[Dr. Brian Evans]

Thank you.

The reference to barriers there is a reflection of the fact that we are cognizant... Again, the CFIA inherited 13 acts and 40-plus regulations when it was created in 1997. Some of that legislation is quite dated. Some of it is quite prescriptive, written in a different time, when risks were different from what they are today.

We're very cognizant of the efforts of this committee in its cross-country meetings last year with industry groups about regulatory burden. There is the reality of the report of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that there is a need on the part of CFIA to try to further adapt its regulatory approaches to ones that are less prescriptive and more outcome-based, and that reduce the burden on producers and individual enterprises, particularly small business enterprises.

The current minister is a former champion of the paper burden reduction exercise. He's made it extremely clear to the agency that we will be held to a very high standard in that regard. We have initiated programming to make sure that we can meet the paper reduction burdens the government is looking for.

The issue around risk speaks to the fact that if the regulatory burden forces people to try to find ways around the regulations, then we're not achieving the regulatory outcome. That in itself creates risk.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

I'll stop you there--

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Your time has expired.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

I think this is important.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

It had better be.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

It is.

The way this reads to me, Mr. Evans, and what I'm afraid of here, is that by the mentioning of the barriers that exist for agriculture producers, it's almost written as if that goes against what CFIA is trying to do. So in essence they'd be butting heads, which isn't what we want to see.

Am I right in that presumption?

[Dr. Brian Evans]

I believe the report was intended to portray the reality that we have made previous attempts to modernize some of the legislative tools. We have authorities in certain areas, for example fish, that we do not have in fruits and vegetables. That's the nature of the acts and regulations we inherited.

Part of our effort is to ensure that we have the appropriate suite of tools that would allow us to effectively manage risk across all the commodities in an equitable and fair way. That goes back to our statement of wanting to have an equitable and fair regulatory regime that does not impose an undue burden, but backstops the ability of the program to achieve its safety outcomes for Canadians and in animal health and plant health.

Where we say we have insufficient authorities, that's a reflection that we have non-uniform authorities. We can take certain actions to detain or prosecute under certain legislation, but we can't do it under other legislation. So we're trying to be consistent in how we deal with risk, and risk across these commodities requires that we have a uniform set of tools to do that.

Our efforts will continue to focus on working with the committee and other departments and agencies around town to try to ensure that regulatory reforms achieve those outcomes.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you, Mr. Miller and Dr. Evans.

Monsieur Bellavance.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

In fact, we may end on this. I just want to understand. Producers will have to keep records of their livestock feed, of what they use to feed their animals. Is that true or not?

[Paul Mayers]

If they're not distributing, I am not aware that there is an obligation under the regulations to keep records on what they are feeding. I can certainly commit to review the regulatory requirements and inform the committee in that regard so we can be absolutely clear on this point.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

If you would provide that to the committee, I'll make sure we circulate to all members what regulations apply on the farm.

I want to thank everybody from CFIA for coming today. It was very informative. We had a great discussion.

I'll entertain a motion to adjourn from Mr. St. Amand.

The meeting is adjourned.