Mr. Speaker, there are parts of every omnibus bill that need to be studied, but when there are omnibus bills, they rarely are. I was the only member of Parliament to vote against part 1 of Bill C-5 last June. Why? It was because the Canadian Cancer Society reached me and asked me to please oppose reducing measures that would make it easier for toxic chemicals that are carcinogens to cross provincial borders.
I am very similarly concerned that this bill, in division 8, would increase carcinogens in our foods and in our environment because of changes being proposed to the Pest Control Products Act on the scanty evidence, or I would say the assumption without evidence, that somehow food would be cheaper if we made it easier for corporate profits to accrue in the chemical industry.
I ask the hon. Minister of Finance to please reconsider the amendments to the Pest Control Products Act. There are parts of this bill I would vote for, but please, to the Minister of Finance, do not reduce our health protections pretending it would bring down food prices.