I'm sorry. I would like to ask the question. Thank you.
Here's the question. The CVS implemented just before the Maple Leaf outbreak was“ flawed and in need of 'critical improvements related to its design'”. It was “'implemented without a detailed assessment of the resources'... [and a] shortage of food safety inspectors was in play before the outbreak”.
According to an internal CFIA assessment conducted in March and April of this year, many of the problems Weatherill identified continued to plague food inspection in Canada. Among those findings were comments by several participants regarding their experiences:
“insufficient staff to ensure full delivery of CVS in all the plants.”
The new inspection system does not allow inspectors enough time to complete verification tasks and [it] lacks effective compliance and enforcement tools when food companies violate safety requirements.
While some inspectors have access to laptops and high speed Internet, others “continued to work primarily with pencil and paper”.
Inspectors are further hobbled because they do not have direct access to the historical information about companies' food safety records.
Could you please explain how Canadians are to have confidence in the current system, given these findings of your internal assessment?