Conservative MPs are calling on parliament to reverse changes made by the Liberals last year that brought natural health products under the same regulations as medicines.
With the new regulations, Health Canada will require stores to remove products such as supplements and homeopathic medicines from shelves if they are found to pose a health risk, and will require businesses that do not comply with regulations to means higher fines can be imposed.
Alberta Conservative MP Blaine Calkins is seeking to completely overturn changes to a private member’s bill being considered by the House of Commons health committee.
He said the changes did not receive proper scrutiny at the time of law because the Liberals included them in a huge budget bill, and believes these changes will increase costs for consumers and stifle innovation. are.
Calkins’ bill passed second reading with support from both the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois.
Health Minister Mark Holland told the committee last week that reversing the changes would be “cuckoo bananas” and put the health of Canadian consumers at risk.
“We have a duty of care and we have a duty of care to ensure that everything Canadians ingest or use is safe and won’t make them sick,” Holland said on Oct. 29. jeopardize it. ”
Calkins said in a recent interview that he doesn’t recall anyone discussing these specific provisions in the budget, calling it “unjust” and “despicable” for the government to include the changes in the budget.
“The industry didn’t even know the change was happening until the bill was already passed and passed by the Senate,” he said.
He said if the Liberals believed there was a problem they should have consulted widely with industry before making the changes.
NDP House of Commons Leader Peter Julian said his party believes it is unacceptable for the government to use an omnibus bill to amend the law. His spokesperson said Friday that the NDP is continuing to study the issue and may make amendments to Calkins’ bill in committee.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
