The issue of genetic engineering is a scientific issue as well as a social and economic issue. It's not just about the science itself, which is in dispute. Scientific knowledge is ever evolving. One of our starting points of concern is about how much science examines the individual GMOs that are on the market. We have to talk about this product by product—that's the way the Canadian government regulates. Within the scientific community, however, there are contrasting views or research about whether the process matters, whether there are inherent risks here. That is why gene editing is still an issue for us to discuss. Then there are the issues of who owns the technology, how it is introduced, how it is used and who benefits from it. These are issues that also need to be attended to, and I think you'll find that Canadians—definitely those who want labelling—are very much engaged in that discussion.
On April 4th, 2019. See this statement in context.