Canada's New Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan
Ottawa Journal
David Tilson MP Dufferin- Caledon

Protecting Canadians has been a priority for our government.

Canadians and their families expect and deserve to feel safe about the products they purchase and consume. This is why our government recently announced the Food and Safety Action Plan that will make Canadians safer by legislating tougher federal government regulations of food, health, and consumer products.

In recent years, there has been sharp increase in the number of product recalls involving unsafe toys, food and drugs in countries such as China. Our government is therefore responding to this concern by proposing legislation this year that will transform the government's approach to regulating product safety. For the first time in Canada, instead of merely reacting to problems, the regulations will be designed to prevent them from happening. We will do this by providing better safety information to consumers and guidance to industries on building safety throughout their supply chains.

Our plan also aims at targeting the highest risks. Our government would require companies to provide results of safety tests upon request and use this information to keep a vigilant eye on products posing the greatest risk to health and safety. Furthermore, our plan seeks new tools to help us respond to problems as rapidly as possible. This means we would seek to enact new legislation to allow faster action than ever before to protect the public when a problem occurs.

More specifically, new measures under the plan will also include: mandatory product recalls when companies fail to act on legitimate safety concerns; making importers responsible for the safety of goods they bring into Canada; and increasing maximum fines under the Food and Drug Act from $5,000 up to current international standards.

The government will begin liaising with consumer and industry stakeholders on how best to proceed with the plan in the new year.

The Food and Product Safety Action Plan delivers on our government's commitment to building a stronger, safer, better Canada. It will benefit all Canadians and will improve our safety and health, while rewarding responsible industry players. In addition, it will strengthen Canada's reputation abroad as a leader in product safety standards that are second to none.

Building

Canada

Our government has remained committed to making a stronger and better Canada for all of us.

This commitment extends to improving infrastructure from coast to coast. We are doing this through the historic Building Canada infrastructure plan. The $33 billion plan will provide more funding than any other previous infrastructure initiative that will support our country's long-term growth.

The plan was formally announced late last year by Prime Minister Harper and Minister Cannon (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities). It focuses on delivering results that matter to Canadians - cleaner air and water, safer roads, shorter commutes and prosperous, livable communities. It is a seven-year plan (from 2007- 2014) and will make a real difference in the lives of all Canadians, while complementing our country's priorities of a stronger economy, cleaner environment, and better communities.

Building Canada was developed following extensive consultations with provinces, territories, and stakeholders. It outlines a streamlined set of programs designed to simplify the funding process and provide greater flexibility for governments to address national priorities and to respond to local needs.

British Columbia was the first province to sign on to the new national infrastructure plan. The framework agreement signed between the province and the federal government will provide British Columbia with $2.2 billion over seven years to invest in roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, public transit and more, including the Pacific Gateway initiative, which is key to ensuring that B.C. and Canada benefit from burgeoning economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Building Canada also recognizes smaller communities across Canada. It includes a Communities Component which will support projects that contribute to the ongoing development of safety and strong communities and will be evaluated on the extent to which they meet environmental, economic, and quality of life objectives. This will significantly help smaller communities address their infrastructure pressures and serve as a complementary instrument to Gas Tax Funding (GTF) funding.

Our government understands that modern, worldclass infrastructure supports economic growth and productivity, improves Canada's competitiveness, and facilitates the movement of people and goods and this is why we have invested in this plan. Furthermore, the plan will restore public confidence and trust, as well as produce results in areas that matter most to Canadians such as roads and highways, public transit, bridges, sewer and water systems, and green energy.

The Building Canada Plan is about investing in our country's future. Furthermore, it is about a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, and more prosperous communities across Canada, which are priorities for all Canadians. I look forward to Ontario signing on to the new national infrastructure plan.