Was a pact secretly sworn by all the House of Commons’ parties that "no health critic and no other member of Parliament shalt protest" the replacement of the Hazardous Products Act by the new Consumer Products and Safety Act (Bill C-36)?
The MPs’ cones of silence here remind us of dunce cones. This MP passivity and submissiveness — is this their new-found “parliamentary civility?”
They quietly wait for Bill C-36 to pass like so much wind. Not so they can eliminate bisphenol from baby bottles; that was done under existing legislation, maybe wrongly.
No, the latest bogeyman that spooks Health Canada is cadmium-tainted jewelry and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq hinted at a ministry meltdown, claiming her job would be impossible without new high-powered legislation. So Bill C-36 conveniently won't require a court judge's warrant each time Health Canada wants to trespass and seize a product. For convenience also, no transparency or accountability regarding ministry decisions shall be required and Health Canada need not pay any compensation should businesses be mistakenly targeted and their operations or reputations destroyed.
Bill C-36 is a convenient heel of a boot, but do we really want that? It unwisely allows the ministry to shield its actions from public scrutiny, which should always be allowed and encouraged for its input of common sense, and to keep the ministry honest.
Few Canadians are aware, however, for all those elected to represent their interests are quietly in agreement.
Zeb Landon, Simcoe, Ont.
