Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of many Canadians in my riding of Nanaimo—Cowichan and across the country who are concerned about the introduction of genetically engineered foods to the marketplace.
While everyone is interested in ensuring that the world's food supply grows and that the hunger pangs of children and indeed all people disappear, there are many who share concern about the safety of genetically engineered foods. There are too many outstanding issues and too many questions of what if. These questions require full answers.
The safety of our food supply cannot and must not fall into question. We must learn from past failures, such as the testing of our blood supply, and ensure the public that the same mistakes will not be made again. We must take time now to ensure that the safety of these foods is without question.
I have currently submitted a private member's bill to be drafted that calls for further investigation into the regulations concerning genetically engineered foods and their mandatory labelling. Until this process is complete, I believe that the questions will remain unanswered. In the near future I will be asking for support of this bill by the members of the House.