Evidence of meeting #78 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Thank you for that insight.
We talk about updated regulations in terms of innovation. Do you believe that the updated regulations will result in more innovative products entering the Canadian marketplace? If yes, could you share some of the types of products?
12:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Absolutely. I think that's one of the things on which Health Canada has been very responsive. We've been able to address those concerns by bringing this data package to Canadian companies. We know that we have active ingredient suppliers who have no intention of bringing any end-use products into Canada and are going to be able to sublicense them to Canadian companies. It's to the benefit of all Canadian companies, regardless of where they're located.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Mr. Sidhu, you're frozen. It's most unfortunate.
I'm going to move on. We have three minutes.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I have three minutes remaining for Mr. Sidhu. You can take it, Mr. Arya.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Coombs, you said you represent the industry. How many members do you have, and how many of them are manufacturing companies?
12:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Our member companies have a wide range of products. Just in the biocide space, we represent 70% of the household use. Due to the complexities around institutional and hospital settings, we represent the industry leaders in that space.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
My concern is that usually whenever industry bodies come here, they say they represent the industry. It's all good. Sometimes, depending on the size—the number of members and how big they are—the trading companies, the resellers who represent the foreign entities, have a dominant voice within the industry association.
When you represent this trade body, how much of your work is for domestic manufacturers rather than importers?
12:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Thank you for asking about how we do our policy inside our organization. It is very collaborative and consensus-based. We represent all of the companies that work in the space. We ultimately want to have good public policy at the end of the day that drives jobs in Canada and drives innovation in products—
12:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
I know you look a bit suspicious, but it's true—
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
Ms. Coombs, that is a problem I have, because every word you said was perfect. It was about “the collaborative purpose” and “representing the voice of the industry”.
I have seen industry associations here whose membership was 100% made up of foreign companies. It may not be yours, but I've heard that. When they come and make a presentation, it may be good for the industry as they define it and it may be good for Canadian consumers, but at the end of the day, they don't represent the interests of Canadian manufacturers and what is good for Canadian medium to long-term growth.
I have a question to Mr. Lévesque. I understand you have some reservations. When you have reservations, are you speaking on behalf of the domestic manufacturing companies or are you talking on behalf of the sellers and resellers?
12:30 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
It's domestic manufacturers.
I'm mainly speaking on behalf of Quebec manufacturers.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much.
Mr. Côté, I see you have your hand up. Did you want to try your sound again?
12:35 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
I'm trying hard to get involved and participate. To answer the question involving Quebec, we do represent most of the small manufacturers of disinfectants in Quebec.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Mr. Côté, I'm going to make a suggestion, because we're still having the sound problem with the comments coming back from translation.
Would it be possible for you to come back on Thursday and appear before the committee on Thursday?
12:35 p.m.
Member, Board of Directors, Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
Yes, we can do that.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
That way you would have your full amount of time. I think that's fair, because I appreciate very much your waiting and trying to get this problem corrected. If that would be all right, we'll just leave anything that you have further to say to next Thursday, and you'll be a witness at next Thursday's committee meeting. Thank you very much.
Next we have Mr. Savard-Tremblay for six minutes.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Gentlemen, since you prepared your testimony jointly, we could have put certain questions to both of you, but I'll keep a few for Mr. Côté's return on Thursday.
Mr. Lévesque, just before Mr. Côté spoke and the technical issues arose, you barely had time to discuss the fact that the coming into force of the bill did not allow enough time. You said that two years weren't enough. Would you please enlarge on that?
October 31st, 2023 / 12:35 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
Based on our experience with other proposed regulations in recent years, when we anticipate an enormous workload, we know that delays will be longer than anticipated. We've never been wrong. It's as simple as that.
In this case, the workload will be enormous because, as Mr. Côté said earlier, some products aren't currently approved by Health Canada. I'm thinking, for example, of food-contact surface sanitizers. They alone represent an enormous amount of extra work.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
As I understand it, you aren't opposed to the idea of subjecting products to more audits. You don't think that's the problem at all. The problem is the lack of harmonization on both sides.
However, we could tell you that the United States applies a similar policy.
What do you say to that?
12:35 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
As far as I know, the United States doesn't apply a similar policy. It's as simple as that. They'll never recognize our products. Reciprocity won't enter into it.
12:35 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
How does it currently work in the United States for a Quebec or Canadian business that wants to export its products? What steps do you have to take?
12:35 p.m.
General manager, Groupement provincial de l'industrie du médicament (GPIM), Association pour le développement et l'innovation en chimie au Québec
In the United States, regulations are applied through the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, which isn't the equivalent of Health Canada, but more that of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the PMRA, here.
So these are two completely different entities that regulate our products. In Canada, our products fall within the pharmaceutical domain and are regulated by Health Canada and the natural and non-prescription health products directorate.
