Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Again, my thanks go to Mr. Calkins for bringing this bill forward. This is really important legislation.
As I mentioned in my preamble that you graciously allowed me, Mr. Chair, I understand the concerns that have been raised by the natural health products sector about all the additional powers that have been given to the minister. Therefore, NDP-1 would amend the bill by replacing line 8 on page 1 with the following:
combination of drugs and devices, but, for the purposes of sections 21.31, 21.32, 21.33, 21.7 and 21.71, does not include a
and then the clause continues “natural health product within the meaning of the Natural Health Products Regulations”.
The intent here is to take away many of the other powers that have been given under Vanessa's Law and that the sector has raised very legitimate concerns about. However, you'll be sure to point out, Mr. Chair, that it continues to allow the minister to recall a product and take it off the shelves.
Now, this is something that I think, from the evidence that we've heard—and we've had very effective witnesses coming forward.... There are very occasionally in this sector companies that, for whatever reason, will not respond to voluntary recalls, so I do understand the importance of ensuring that when there's a risk of injury to health, there is the ability to force a mandatory recall in those rare circumstances. That is why I'm presenting this amendment: to ensure that the mandatory recall provisions are maintained and that those other powers are taken away.
I wish the government would have consulted the sector, the industry, before Vanessa's Law was put into effect, but I think this helps to mitigate most of the concerns that they have raised while maintaining that requirement or that ability for Health Canada to ensure a mandatory recall in rare circumstances when a company has not been co-operative.