Mr. Speaker, when she tabled her master plan to reduce tobacco use in Canada, the Minister of Health indicated that broad consultations would be taking place with a view to introducing legislation in the spring.
Unfortunately, before tabling her plan, the minister did not see fit to initiate serious consultations with the tobacco industry on her government's plans to severely regulate its activities.
First of all, the minister would not discuss the code of ethics to be adopted by the manufacturers or the thrust of her master plan.
She missed a great opportunity to make her intentions perfectly clear to the industry, thus avoiding another court challenge on her upcoming legislation. If that were to happen, Canada would once more find itself without a strategy to reduce tobacco use.
In the meantime, following the Supreme Court's decision, the tobacco industry would resume actively promoting its products through advertising. What a mess.