Health committee  As an example, for the proposal to revoke the 0.1 ppm general maximum residue limit, there was a series of consultation documents for stakeholders, publicly, through websites and various fora, to inform stakeholders of what we were going through. The actual change to that regulat

Health committee  I have to emphasize, once more, that no changes are currently being proposed to those maximum residue limits. If there were any changes proposed, we would have to develop a consultation strategy with stakeholder groups and the public to make sure they're informed. The current pro

Health committee  That's correct, as I understand it.

Health committee  To clarify, our researchers and scientists are a very separate group of scientists and researchers from the regulatory scientists who would have been looking at that question.

Health committee  I'll start with your first question. As I indicated in my earlier comments, our mandate under the Pest Control Products Act is essentially to make sure that pesticides sold or used in Canada do not pose unacceptable environmental or human health risks. Also in that process is t

Health committee  We're the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and we make our decisions based on the best available science.

Health committee  How much is from the public? I think you'll judge that for yourself when you see the responses to the consultation document--

Health committee  My guess is that you will not see a lot from Aunt Millie, but you will see some.

Health committee  To the extent that we can, we make our work public and transparent. Our consultation documents are in plain language and are as readable as we can make them. We strive to make those widely available.

Health committee  I would just confirm, of course, that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency's mandate truly is pest control products and pesticides only. I can't speak to specifics around the breast implant issue.

Health committee  What I indicated was that the discussions they're having internationally are being driven by trade concerns, but it is health that is going to drive those decisions.

Health committee  Discussion....

Health committee  I'm wondering where to begin. On your first question on why to consider harmonization, international cooperation and harmonization is potentially a smart way to do business and to gain access to all the best knowledge and best practices around the world. We have to do it. I wo

Health committee  I can certainly speak to the first question. In terms of harmonizing the protection mechanisms, we do an extensive amount of work in international regulatory cooperation with other countries around the world, specifically to learn best practices, to understand their systems, to s

Health committee  I think the record of what we've done...I guess I could start with the recent Pest Control Products Act, which parliamentarians supported very recently putting into force in 2006 and which strengthened very substantially the human health protection and environmental health protec