Natural health products and safety…always a source of 'healthy' discussion and debate. I've had a few calls related to Bill C-51, dealing with amending the Food and Drug Act. I appreciate the calls and the advice I've been getting on this one. Let me tell you straight up that I am a supporter and user of natural health products and I believe there are times when that whole industry gets a rough ride from critics, mainly due to lack of information. Having said that let me try to put to rest some of the concerns around this Bill.
Bill C-51 is part of our Government’s strategy to ensure that food and products that are available on the Canadian Market are safe for consumers. The purpose of this legislation is to target those few who would break the law, and by doing so, level the playing field for law-abiding Canadian businesses. Bill C-51 is designed to ensure access to safe, effective Natural Health Products, not to keep them from Canadians.
There are many cases of adulterated Natural Health Products, such as the pills “Sleepees” that were the subject of national media stories, and Canadians want us to make sure they’re safe. Products that make health claims must be regulated; otherwise they can be sold as foods. Natural Health Products are already a separate category in the regulations of the Food and Drugs Act. They are not regulated as drugs, and Bill C-51 won’t change that.
The health and safety of Canadians is a top priority of our Government. Without this Bill, Canada will remain unable to require recall of products even in situations when there are clear health and safety concerns. So if you have any more advice or concerns on this please let me know. I can tell you we want to get this right.
In terms of getting things right, I met this week with the men and women from a variety of our emergency response teams. Since this is National Emergency Week they were putting on demonstrations of what they do. The good people who train to be there for us in times of crisis always impress me with their dedication and courage. After all, when a disaster hits, most of us want to flee the scene as rapidly as possible. At that precise moment the emergency response people are heading towards the danger, putting themselves at risk for the rest of us. So ‘hats off’ to them for being willing to be 'there' when most of us would prefer not to be.
On another note, I am pleased to be able to congratulate those recipient organizations from right here in the Okanagan who will be receiving grants from the recently announced $269 Million Dollar Homelessness Partnering Strategy initiative. Thank you for all you do to enhance our communities.
On a closing note, the constituency lost a true friend this week, somebody who really knew what it meant to be 'there'. Everett Ball was a member of Rotary for much of his life and it wasn't just a matter of showing up. He was there to take on responsibilities, just as he did all of his life whether serving his family, his community, his church or his club. Even the onset of blindness didn't stop Everett from 'seeing' a need in somebody's life and being willing to meet it.
I can say from personal experience that Everett was there for me on occasion when I needed a word of encouragement or helpful insight in a challenging situation. Thanks Everett, for always being 'there' for so many of us.
