Thanks for the opportunity to provide a brief overview of clauses 170 and 171, which deal in particular with the powers of inspection.
We work in an increasingly complex world, and technology is evolving at unprecedented speed, but our powers of inspection have not kept up with the pace of those developments.
The proposed amendments would clarify some of the powers conferred by the act and grant inspectors modern powers to enforce it, which would make it possible to adopt more flexible and adaptable approaches.
The proposed amendments are really intended to help us better protect the health and safety of Canadians. These are in keeping with powers that you would find in other modern federal legislation, including many of those acts that are administered within the health portfolio.
What I'll do is quickly run through some of the highlights of the authorities that we're seeking.
The proposed amendments would allow inspectors to order a person to provide an inspector with any document, information or sample specified by the inspector. This could be done without the inspector being on site. They would add electronic data to the list of records or documents that could be examined, by giving the inspector the ability to reproduce this electronic data or use a computer system or a means of telecommunication at the place being inspected. They would allow things like the inspectors taking photographs or making recordings and sketches during an inspection. An inspector would be able to examine, test or take samples of anything in the place being inspected, or remove anything from the place being inspected for those purposes.
Inspectors would be able to cause a person to identify themselves to the satisfaction of the inspector in the place being inspected. The inspector would be able to order a person to move or stop a conveyance for the purpose of inspecting that conveyance, or if a conveyance is blocking access to products in a warehouse, for example, to move that conveyance so that the inspector could get at it.
It would also allow an authority to pass through or over private property. This would not include a dwelling house. The sanctity of the home would remain. The only two ways we could get into a home would be with a warrant or with the consent of an owner, but this would allow us to pass over private property to execute our functions.
I'd also like to mention that in clauses 173 to 175 you'll find the offence provisions. What's important to note is that where there is a duty created by these new authorities, it would fit within the existing infrastructure of the offences that are currently in the act, so there is no increase to penalties or offences. In those clauses we've really just aligned the provisions that we're seeking here with the existing infrastructure of the penalties.
That's it.