Thanks very much, Chair.
I think that we adjourned debate last time on a very important motion related to this bill. It specifically respects the data that has been egregiously reported here in this committee without any evidence.
Certainly as we begin to look at that, I think that we need to return to the original omnibus bill in which the changes originally occurred, transforming natural health products to therapeutic products. This was done, as I said, in an omnibus bill, in an attempt to hide that from the public.
That being said, when we heard from witnesses from Health Canada and specifically from Dr. Supriya Sharma, we know, once again, that data was referred to that has never been substantiated. The sad fact of the matter is that in the obfuscation of witnesses who were here at this time, they absolutely refused to provide that data. In spite of many disagreements we've had at this committee, we have had the ability to have documents tabled here, which has been a regular occurrence, thankfully, and it's something that we've agreed to. Sadly, that couldn't occur at this time.
Subsequently, I moved a motion for ISMP to provide the dates of occurrences, the specific substances that were in question, the outcomes, etc. It's interesting; I had the opportunity to review the footage from that meeting, and when I asked representatives from that group three times to come forward and provide data to substantiate their claims, each time they talked about privacy and they talked about.... It was very unclear what their point was.
My point, though, is very clear. If you want to come and make claims about a $13-billion industry that is mainly composed of small and medium-sized businesses here in Canada—a business that is incredibly important, often a family business and often run by women—then you need to substantiate your claims. It is absolutely egregious that this was not taken into account by our Liberal and NDP counterparts, who adjourned debate on this motion at the last meeting.
On behalf of those entrepreneurs who really want to be able to continue to ply their business in our country, shame on the Liberals and shame on the NDP for adjourning debate. We could have settled this already, but once again, for reasons unknown to me....
Perhaps it is the return of the marriage of the NDP and Liberal leaders. Despite the much-touted public tearing up of the agreement, clearly everybody knows that the renewal of vows has reoccurred. As we begin to look at that—