Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I am somewhat disturbed by certain things that I read in your reports.
Mr. Rosenberg, you gave us a very good explanation of the responsibilities of Health Canada. I see that you are dealing with a range of files that involve drugs, medical equipment and other health products, food, pesticides, hazardous substances in the workplace, the quality of air and water, and so forth. This is enormous. It touches on every area of our lives. We know that there are old problems that still persist while new problems come up that involve environmental issues. Moreover, we are exposed to various viruses from abroad.
However, as Ms. Fraser said in her presentation, the audit showed that the core funding budgets had been substantially cut over the past three years. For instance, the Product Safety Program was cut by 10%, the Drug Products Program was cut by 32%, and the Medical Devices Program by 50%.
In addition, Ms. Fraser's report states the following:
8.22 The Product Safety Program has requested additional funding, but it received very little funds for special initiatives in 2005-06 to address the shortfalls presented above. Program managers indicated that their inability to carry out these responsibilities could have consequences for the health and safety of Canadians, such as exposure by consumers to non-compliant hazardous products. There is also a risk of liability to the Crown.
Please, reassure me. I am thinking of contaminated blood and of C. difficile and a tendency to imitate the United States by taking everything to court. I must confess that I am confused. The people concerned by this should have many questions to ask.