An advocate for natural health products has produced a proposed private member’s bill to protect the industry from onerous new regulations and now awaits an MP willing to table the legislation.When the Trudeau Liberal government passed the 2023 budget in Bill C-47, it sneaked in new regulations to force natural health products to produce the same proof of efficacy as new drugs before reaching the marketplace.The Natural Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) estimates the move would take 70% of such products off the market. Meanwhile, fees to fund the bureaucrats overseeing the regulations could put many retailers out of business. In response, the NHPPA launched a letter and postcard campaign. More recently, founder Shawn Buckley, a lawyer who formerly served Health Canada, drafted a two-page proposed private members bill to repeal sections 500-504 of Bill C-47. A private member’s bill can be introduced by any member of Parliament that is not a member of the cabinet.The bill would ensure that any penalties or orders that activated while the therapeutic product provisions applied to natural health products are undone. As the NHPPA explains, it ensures “no NHP manufacturer, retailer, or practitioner can be persecuted for telling the truth about NHPs and subjected to $5,000,000 per day fines.”The NHPPA is encouraging supporters to print off the bill and send it to their local MP. A form letter was also provided, though people are encouraged to personalize it with their own words. The NHPPA also encourages people to send the letter to “the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, the Standing Committee on Health, or even all 338 MPs, if you’re willing.”The letter says, “Health Canada initiatives threaten to decimate the natural health industry in Canada by imposing enormous new fees, commanding onerous evidence requirements, limiting label claims and the truthful information that can be shared about NHPs and inappropriately applying Vanessa’s Law to NHPs.”Vanessa’s Law, also known as the Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act, was passed in 2014 to give Health Canada more power to protect Canadians from unsafe health products.“It is predicted that NHP manufacturers and distributors will be driven out of business; natural health retailers will be unable to compete with lower NHP costs across the border in the United States (which can be freely imported for personal use); natural health practitioners will be restricted in the products they can recommend to their patients; and consumers will experience reduced access to NHPs, increased costs, and restriction in their freedom of choice,” the letter explains.“Many Canadians are only alive today because of NHPs. Many more only enjoy quality of life because they manage serious health conditions with natural health products. It is reckless and dangerous to restrict access to these products." "In the meantime, prices are going to skyrocket for the few remaining products. Health Canada will be responsible for people losing their livelihoods, their health and wellbeing and in some cases their lives.”The appeal says the offending sections of the budget bill must be repealed for the good of constituents and all Canadians.“I ask you to set aside your voting alignment with your respective political party. I ask you to vote with your conscience, to represent the people, and to do the right thing to correct this problem.""I am asking you to uphold every Canadian citizen’s most fundamental rights and freedoms, yours and mine, to choose how we care for our health and decide what goes into our bodies,” the letter urges.“The first step to solve the crisis facing the NHP industry is to Repeal Bill C-47, Sections 500-504, and undo the time it has been law since June 22 2023, so that no manufacturer, retailer or practitioner can be persecuted for being open and transparent about the benefits of NHPs and subjected to $5,000,000 per day fines.”The appeal closes with a request for a reply from the MP to confirm their support for the initiative.
An advocate for natural health products has produced a proposed private member’s bill to protect the industry from onerous new regulations and now awaits an MP willing to table the legislation.When the Trudeau Liberal government passed the 2023 budget in Bill C-47, it sneaked in new regulations to force natural health products to produce the same proof of efficacy as new drugs before reaching the marketplace.The Natural Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) estimates the move would take 70% of such products off the market. Meanwhile, fees to fund the bureaucrats overseeing the regulations could put many retailers out of business. In response, the NHPPA launched a letter and postcard campaign. More recently, founder Shawn Buckley, a lawyer who formerly served Health Canada, drafted a two-page proposed private members bill to repeal sections 500-504 of Bill C-47. A private member’s bill can be introduced by any member of Parliament that is not a member of the cabinet.The bill would ensure that any penalties or orders that activated while the therapeutic product provisions applied to natural health products are undone. As the NHPPA explains, it ensures “no NHP manufacturer, retailer, or practitioner can be persecuted for telling the truth about NHPs and subjected to $5,000,000 per day fines.”The NHPPA is encouraging supporters to print off the bill and send it to their local MP. A form letter was also provided, though people are encouraged to personalize it with their own words. The NHPPA also encourages people to send the letter to “the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, the Standing Committee on Health, or even all 338 MPs, if you’re willing.”The letter says, “Health Canada initiatives threaten to decimate the natural health industry in Canada by imposing enormous new fees, commanding onerous evidence requirements, limiting label claims and the truthful information that can be shared about NHPs and inappropriately applying Vanessa’s Law to NHPs.”Vanessa’s Law, also known as the Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act, was passed in 2014 to give Health Canada more power to protect Canadians from unsafe health products.“It is predicted that NHP manufacturers and distributors will be driven out of business; natural health retailers will be unable to compete with lower NHP costs across the border in the United States (which can be freely imported for personal use); natural health practitioners will be restricted in the products they can recommend to their patients; and consumers will experience reduced access to NHPs, increased costs, and restriction in their freedom of choice,” the letter explains.“Many Canadians are only alive today because of NHPs. Many more only enjoy quality of life because they manage serious health conditions with natural health products. It is reckless and dangerous to restrict access to these products." "In the meantime, prices are going to skyrocket for the few remaining products. Health Canada will be responsible for people losing their livelihoods, their health and wellbeing and in some cases their lives.”The appeal says the offending sections of the budget bill must be repealed for the good of constituents and all Canadians.“I ask you to set aside your voting alignment with your respective political party. I ask you to vote with your conscience, to represent the people, and to do the right thing to correct this problem.""I am asking you to uphold every Canadian citizen’s most fundamental rights and freedoms, yours and mine, to choose how we care for our health and decide what goes into our bodies,” the letter urges.“The first step to solve the crisis facing the NHP industry is to Repeal Bill C-47, Sections 500-504, and undo the time it has been law since June 22 2023, so that no manufacturer, retailer or practitioner can be persecuted for being open and transparent about the benefits of NHPs and subjected to $5,000,000 per day fines.”The appeal closes with a request for a reply from the MP to confirm their support for the initiative.
