AGRI Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 40

Thursday, May 5, 2005

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food met at 3:38 p.m. this day, in Room 371 West Block, the Chair, Paul Steckle, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: David L. Anderson, James Bezan, Claude Drouin, Wayne Easter, Mark Eyking, Roger Gaudet, Denise Poirier-Rivard, Gerry Ritz, Paul Steckle and Rose-Marie Ur.

Acting Members present: Ted Menzies for Larry Miller.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Jean-Denis Fréchette, Principal.

Witnesses: Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Kristine Stolarik, Executive Director, Liaison, Preparedness and Policy Coordination; Mark McCombs, Head and General Counsel, Legal Services; Jane Dudley, Legal Counsel.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Friday, December 10, 2004, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-27, An Act to regulate and prohibit certain activities related to food and other products to which the Acts under the administration of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency apply and to provide for the administration and enforcement of those Acts and to amend other Acts in consequence.

The witnesses answered questions.

Clause 17 carried on division.

Clause 18 carried on division.

On Clause 19,

David L. Anderson moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 19, be amended by replacing line 21 on page 10 with the following:

“product that”

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of David L. Anderson and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 7.

Clause 19 carried on division.

Clause 20 carried on division.

On Clause 21,

James Bezan moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 21, be amended by replacing line 9 on page 11 with the following:

“21. (1) No person shall knowingly prepare a food with”

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the amendment of James Bezan and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 7.

Clause 21 carried on division.

Clause 22 carried on division.

After debate, Clause 23 carried by a show of hands: YEAS: 6; NAYS: 3.

On Clause 24,

James Bezan moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 24, be amended by replacing line 7 on page 12 with the following:

“24. The President may designate accepted methods”

Debate arose thereon.

By unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

Clause 24 carried on division.

On Clause 25,

Wayne Easter moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 25, be amended by

(a) deleting lines 38 and 39 on page 12; and

(b) adding after line 5 on page 14 the following:

“ (4) An inspector may restrict or prohibit the movement of, or hold, a regulated product in order to determine whether the regulated product meets the requirements established by or under the Agency-related Acts.

(5) The inspector shall communicate the restriction, prohibition or hold by notice sent to, or served on, the owner or person having the possession, care or control of the regulated product.

(6) If the inspector determines that the regulated product meets the requirements established by or under the Agency-related Acts, the inspector shall without delay cancel the restriction, prohibiton or hold.

(7) The inspector shall communicate the cancellation by notice sent to, or served on, the person to or on whom the notice under subsection (5) was sent or served.”

Debate arose thereon.

By unanimous consent, the amendment was allowed to stand.

Denise Poirier-Rivard moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 25, be amended by replacing line 13 on page 13 with the following:

“thing, take a reasonable number of samples of the product or thing”

Debate arose thereon.

On motion of Gerry Ritz, it was agreed, — That the amendment be amended by inserting the word “related” before the word “thing”.

The question was put on the amendment of Denise Poirier-Rivard, as amended, and it was agreed to.

Denise Poirier-Rivard moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 25, be amended by adding after line 5 on page 14 the following:

“(4) No information obtained by an inspector or officer under this section may be transmitted to another person except for the purposes of a prosecution under this Act.”

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

James Bezan moved, — That Bill C-27, in Clause 25, be amended by adding after line 5 on page 14 the following:

“(4) No inspector shall carry out an inspection unless he or she has received the specific education and training necessary to carry out the inspection in a competent manner.”

Debate arose thereon.

By unanimous consent, the amendment was allowed to stand.

By unanimous consent, Clause 25 was allowed to stand.

At 5:27 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Bibiane Ouellette
Clerk of the Committee

2005/05/06 3:12 p.m.