Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins is backing a bill to roll back new regulations he says will hammer Canada’s natural health products market.
On Tuesday, Calkins introduced Bill C-368, a private member’s bill which would repeal a handful of sections of the Liberal government’s omnibus budget Bill C-47, part of which deals with the regulation of natural health products in Canada.
Under the new legislation, natural health products (NHP), including supplements, herbal remedies and traditional and homeopathic medicines and certain topical products like toothpaste and sunscreen would no longer be exempt from the so-called Vanessa’s Law, which requires hospitals to report any adverse reactions to the products.
Introduced in 2014, Vanessa’s Law also gives Health Canada more powers to Health Canada to request additional information from manufacturers or stop the sale of certain products deemed to be health risks.
Calkins said in the House of Commons on Tuesday that natural health products were originally classified separately “due to the minimal risk they pose to their users.
“However, after the NDP-Liberal coalition passed C-47, bureaucrats in Health Canada can now implement their self-care scheme, which, according to the National Health Products Association, will reduce choice, increase costs for consumers and drive businesses, investment and product development out of Canada,” he said.
“The existing regulations already keep Canadians safe … and as such I urge all members in this House to listen to their constituents and the overwhelming amount of correspondence they have received and vote for this bill.”
In a statement, Calkins said new regulations seek to impose “substantial” new fees on the importation, manufacturing, and sale of natural health products, along with stringent new labelling laws.
“The Liberals’ Bill C-47 is poised to dramatically disrupt the market and represents a direct attack on Canadian consumers and small businesses,” he says, adding his bill is “designed to dismantle this unnecessary and restrictive red tape, and to restore the rightful status of natural health products in Canada.”
Calkins says 70 per cent of brands have indicated they will need to withdraw products from the market and one in five are considering leaving Canada.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association expressed concerns when Vanessa’s Law was introduced that natural health products were exempt and supports the new legislation.
“Although natural health products are often seen as low-risk, we need to keep in mind that ‘low-risk’ does not mean ‘no risk,’ and ‘natural’ does not mean ‘safe,’ Barry Power the association’s acting chief pharmacist officer told the government Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology in May.
“NHPs do have the ability to cause harm, and given their widespread use, we are pleased to see that further regulations have been proposed to help protect the health and safety of Canadians.