Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the Bloc Quebecois, the Official Opposition, has tabled a dissenting minority report that the Standing Committee on Health has agreed to attach to the majority report tabled by my colleague from Burin-St. George's.
It is important to recall that the members of the Bloc Quebecois are in favour of implementing true measures designed to protect public health and improve the health of Quebecers and Canadians. We feel that the Standing Committee on Health, despite its best efforts, does not have the tools required to argue conclusively for plain packaging of tobacco products.
While the federal health department's own study is ongoing and will not be completed before the end of the year, introducing plain tobacco packaging is not justified by any testimony that was given before the Standing Committee on Health. What is more, serious concerns were raised about violations of Canada's international trade obligations under the free trade agreement and NAFTA, about substantial losses of direct and indirect jobs and finally about counterfeiting, smuggling and marketing.
The report presented by the members of the Bloc Quebecois sets out our concerns over plain packaging of tobacco products and the issues involved in a true public health policy. We are favourable to any measure that is effective, efficient, sustainable and consistent with the government's obligations with respect to the industry, workers and domestic and international trade. Neutral packaging simply does not meet these requirements, as far as we can tell.