OTTAWA, ON – Today, Conservative Member of Parliament for Red Deer-Lacombe, Blaine Calkins, introduced Bill C-368, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (natural health products).
Common sense Conservative Bill C-368 repeals sections 500 to 504 in the Liberal government’s Bill C-47 which deals with the regulation of natural health products in Canada.
Through their bill, the government has allowed Health Canada to regulate natural health supplements the same as therapeutic synthetic drugs. These 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. In response, I am introducing Bill C-368, designed to dismantle this unnecessary and restrictive red tape, and to restore the rightful status of natural health products in Canada,” said MP Calkins.
An alarming 70% of brands have indicated that they will need to withdraw products from the market, and 1 in 5 are considering exiting Canada. Existing regulations already ensure the safety of these natural health products.
“In their usual out-of-touch manner, Liberals introduced changes that are not just bureaucratic red tape, they are chains that bind the hands of our entrepreneurs, stifling innovation and limiting consumer choice. Canadians depend on these products daily. They include protein powders, vitamins, probiotics, and many others,” said MP Calkins.
“Common sense Conservatives will push back against this governmental overreach and protect the fundamental rights of Canadians to make their own health choices, free from undue interference from Ottawa.” concluded MP Calkins.