Agriculture Committee on Aug. 19th, 2008

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

Mr. Roberts spoke about it briefly. In the United States, the private sector more precisely handles food inspection and food safety. Playing with people's health in this manner is not an example we should follow. When there were some recalls recently—I mentioned this yesterday in committee—the vast majority concerned foods from the United States. I don't want to accuse the Americans of anything, but there is likely an inspection problem.

The Americans are not currently as well protected as we are. I don't think that this example, where ground beef, spinach, tomatoes and cantaloupes from the United States were very recently the subject of recalls, is the right one to follow. The idea isn't to scare Canadians and Quebeckers by telling them that implementing a plan could lead us to adopt this procedure. We're not scaring them: we're warning them that the government appears to be taking this path, that it's not a good idea and that we want them to know.

[Chris Roberts]

If I may, I'll respond very quickly to this one.

It's interesting that the most recently reported comparative analysis of national food safety systems around the world rated Canada as superior. But the author of that study recently said, in an op-ed article responding to the outbreak of salmonella in tomatoes in the United States, that a similar nightmare could very well occur in Canada. He said that not enough was being done to ensure consumer protection. Because of the integrated food chain and the deficiencies in the traceability system, he made recommendations about improving Canada's food safety system as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you. The time has expired.

Mr. Storseth, you have the floor.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming forward today.

Ms. Demers, you are the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, is that correct?

[Michèle Demers]

That's correct.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Your educational background is what?

[Michèle Demers]

I'm a social worker.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

You're a social worker. So you're not a scientist—as you've said—as Mr. Evans is, who has spent much time in the field. Your specialty, actually, is coming to meetings such as this and defending your representatives, your union employees. Is that correct?

Would that be a fair assessment?

[Michèle Demers]

I am elected to represent the interests of 55,000 members, a good chunk of whom are scientists.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

And you're elected to defend their interests in cases such as this, correct?

[Michèle Demers]

Yes.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

You talk about the leak and how it put everything on ice and stopped everything from happening. I'd just like to ask this, and maybe you can refresh my mind when it comes to the timeframe of this. When the opposition members quizzed Mr. Evans yesterday, he continually said to them that nothing has happened and that we can refer back to the latest budget. This isn't really something of the past; this is the budget that is now ongoing.

The leak happened how long ago?

[Michèle Demers]

In May.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

And the employee was fired when?

[Michèle Demers]

July 4.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

And the media reports have been around for what time?

[Michèle Demers]

Following that, and on the same day.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

So they were all well after budget 2008?

[Michèle Demers]

Absolutely.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

So then I think it's a little erroneous to assume that the government did its budgetary process.... Your timelines just don't seem to mesh with how things have happened and how the government has somehow changed this with a massive conspiracy. But let me move on to the next question.

Public employees, would you agree, have a fiduciary duty to their employers, especially when it comes to the terms of secret documents?

[Michèle Demers]

They have a duty of loyalty to their employer. Yes.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Would it not be reasonable to expect under a review process, which every department is subjected to ever four years, that there would be thousands of such policy documents out there that would all be confidential?

[Michèle Demers]

I don't know.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

It seems reasonable to assume that, though, doesn't it?

[Michèle Demers]

Well, there are 17 to 20 departments and agencies that are subjected to the strategic review yearly, so thousands, I think, would be an overstatement.