Evidence of meeting #24 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Charles Ethier  Director General, Consumer Product Safety Directorate, Department of Health
Paul Glover  Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
Robert Ianiro  Director, Consumer Product Safety, Department of Health
Marc Toupin  Procedural Clerk
Diane Labelle  General Counsel, Legal Services Unit, Department of Health

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to committee.

Today we're going to try to do things as tightly as we can. I understand there are members of Parliament who need to catch planes following our meeting, so their timelines are very tight.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Thursday, April 30, 2009, we are examining Bill C-6, an Act respecting the safety of consumer products. We have with us today from the Department of Health Paul Glover, Robert Ianiro, Charles Ethier, and Diane Labelle.

Welcome. We're so glad that you can join us in clause-by-clause for this very exciting event this afternoon.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of the preamble and clause 1 is postponed.

(Clauses 2 and 3 agreed to)

(On clause 4--Consumer products)

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Clause 4 is where our first amendment comes.

Ms. Wasylycia-Leis, would you like to speak to clause 4?

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Yes.

Madam Chair, you will know that throughout the hearings on this bill we heard considerable testimony from a number of organizations and reputable experts, including the Cancer Society, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Society, and others. All of them were concerned that we were not including in this bill, as is the case in other bills, the standard prohibition around tobacco and tobacco products.

This is an attempt to ensure that there is no deliberate exclusion of tobacco vis-à-vis this bill, but rather that it is included, as one would expect is normally the case in other areas.

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you, Ms. Wasylycia-Leis.

Is there any other discussion on this particular amendment?

(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Did you count my vote, Madam Chair?

Madam Chair, I had my hand up.

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

We had everyone's vote. The clerk counted them.

We're now going on to a second amendment for clause 4.

Dr. Carrie, would you like to speak to this one?

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Yes. It is that clause 4 be amended by adding, after line 5 on page 5, the following:

(3) For greater certainty, this Act does not apply to natural health products as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Natural Health Products Regulations made under the Food and Drugs Act.

3:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Is there any discussion on this one?

Ms. Wasylycia-Leis.

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Chair, I appreciate this amendment, which follows through on the government's commitment to ensure that Bill C-6 doesn't have implications for natural products. I did want to just raise a concern around the general field, because there are few opportunities to do so.

We've all been hearing recently from representatives of the Canadian Health Food Association expressing concern about the backlog. We had been told that the backlog was being dealt with. Our understanding, based on meetings today, is that this is not the case. In fact, if the backlog is being dealt with at all, it is because products are being denied that request and applications are being turned down. We understand that there has been little effort on the part of the department to ensure that industry and NHP are working together to make sure there are some common understandings about safety and efficacy standards and to expedite natural health products as much as possible.

So I would like, Madam Chair, some indication from the parliamentary secretary that we might have a report to the committee or some follow-up to those concerns. Even though we're passing this amendment and we appreciate the work that has been done to get us here, we know there are big concerns that should be dealt with. We've got to find a way, especially with the stated deadline of 2010, which is causing enormous concern in the industry. I think their feeling is that we need to actually get rid of that deadline, or find a process to accelerate the approval process, or find some way to begin to expedite things in a meaningful way. We need to deal with the very serious concerns that both the industry and the people who are using natural health products are raising.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you.

Ms. Davidson had a comment.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

Further to what my colleague across is saying, I'm quite sure we all have been meeting with the industry people on a regular basis. I understand that there have been ongoing negotiations and I understand also that there are issues with the processing time and the list. I do think that industry and the department are working on that. I understand there's a proposal going forth this Friday that will be dealt with. The two groups have been working together to address this issue, so I think this amendment is fine.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you.

Are there any other comments?

(Amendment agreed to)

Yes?

3:35 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Chair, I'm wondering if I could ask the indulgence of the committee to hold over clause 4, since I do have another amendment dealing with tobacco. It just hasn't arrived yet. We were waiting for the translation or for the clerk to deal with it. Not this clerk, but--

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Oh, I'm sorry, but I should have known about that a little earlier, because it has been passed.

3:35 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Clause 4 has been passed?

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Clause 4 has been passed. I'm sorry, no, the amendment has, not the clause.

Can I have the indulgence of the committee to stand the clause and go back to it later?

(Clause 4 allowed to stand)

Ms. Wasylycia-Leis, you just got the will of the committee in your favour.

3:35 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

I'll try to be good for the rest of the meeting.

3:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

I'll hold you to that.

3:35 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Oh, don't.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Okay, we'll move to clause 5.

(Clauses 5 and 6 agreed to)

(On clause 7--Manufacturer and importer)

Shall clause 7 carry?

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

We have amendments--

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Oh, I'm sorry, which clause, Dr. Bennett?

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

We just handed them over to the clerk.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Yes, the messenger is copying it now. It hasn't arrived back yet.