Thanks very much, Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for joining us this morning.
Certainly the recent events at XL in Brooks have made this legislation even more important, and I know in the debates in the House....
Our food safety system is rated as superior, not by us but by a report on OECD countries. In reviewing the bill, I noticed that there are parts that will grant CFIA more authority, more ability, and more efficiency in getting recall information from companies in a timely manner. I actually think that this probably would have played a positive role in the XL situation.
I do want to bring up a quote so that we have an outside opinion on this. There's a Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, from the riding of Mr. Valeriote, actually, who works at the University of Guelph. I'm just going to read for you what he has said: “The CFIA...does not have the authority to compel the speedy delivery of information from industry during an outbreak.” That's what Dr. Sylvain Charlebois says.
Minister, you know from the debates we've had and from the panels we've been on that the opposition and the food inspectors union have said repeatedly that CFIA already has all the powers it needs to obtain important documents from companies such as XL Foods. However, there are experts, such as Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and others, who have said that CFIA needs the powers that this bill will give them to obtain these documents, and certainly in a more timely manner.
Minister, could you share with the committee who is right on this matter about what the CFIA is able to do now and what they will be able to do once this bill passes into law?