Supporters of private member's Bill C-368 to protect natural health products from onerous fees and regulations are revamping their advocacy as the bill goes to a vote on May 29.Bill C-368 aims to amend the Food and Drugs Act by repealing sections 500-504 of Bill C-47. These sections of the 2023 Budget bill controversially moved natural health products into the same regulatory category as pharmaceutical drugs, a shift that has negatively impacted the industry.Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, AB) introduced the bill last December. On April 29, he said without it, the 2023 Budget would "basically kill traditional Chinese medicine practice in Canada.""There are about 50,000 natural products registered in Canada right now. If someone is going to bring a new product to the market, it will cost them an additional $4,000 per product. In that particular year, if one has a site licence and a new product, one is looking at $24,000 before one even gets anything coming in for revenues," Calkins said.Conservative MP Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC) warned on April 29 that unless reversed, the new red tape would be costly."Health Canada is introducing new fees on licensing, manufacturing, labelling, importing and packaging that could cost a business more than $100,000. I looked up cost of those fees before my speech tonight. There is a licensing fee of over $20,000, a site amendment fee of close to $5,000, a class three product license application of up to $58,000 and a product license amendment of up to $23,000," he said."I have spoken to owners of health food and supplement stores in my riding and across Canada. They are terrified about what these changes will mean for their businesses and their customers. These new fees and regulations will mean fewer products at higher prices on their store shelves, potentially depriving consumers of the benefits they rely on for their health and well-being. For many stores, these changes could mean they close entirely."On May 22 second reading of the bill resumed. Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri (Peterborough—Kawartha, ON) said the potential economic impact of the fees had not been analyzed on a gender basis or any other way."Natural health products and businesses contribute $5.5 billion to the Canadian economy, and $2.8 billion in taxable revenue. Over 80% of businesses in the sector are small or medium size. 70% of brands have indicated that they will need to withdraw products from this market. One in five businesses are contemplating shutting down due to the proposed changes," she said.NDP MP Alistair Macgregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC) said many constituents and local businesses had approached him on the issue."I will be supporting this bill at second reading. Natural health products have a long history of use in Canada as low-risk and affordable methods of promoting well being," Macgregor said."They must remain accessible to all Canadians. And it is unacceptable that the changes to the regulatory regime under the Food and Drugs Act was snuck into an a budget omnibus bill because it did not allow the proper study that this issue so richly deserves."Bloc Quebecois MP Caroline Desbiens (Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix, Quebec) said her party would vote in favour of the "necessary" bill."If the government had been a little bit more transparent if the necessary consultations have been undertaken, if everyone had worked together to find a way to move forward, without harming an industry that Quebec has, and Canadians have a right to access, well, then we wouldn't be here today, having this conversation," Desbiens said.But Kevin Lamoreux, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, said bill opponents presented "misleading information.""The member said well, we're going to see businesses closed down the industry is going to be devastated if this legislation doesn't pass. What garbage Madam Speaker. That's what it is. We just heard a lot of garbage misinformation, Madam Speaker," Lamoreux protested."Why would they oppose a government having the authority to protect the health of Canadians?"The Natural Health Products Protection Association urged its supporters to contact their members of parliament on the bill. The NHPPA claimed as of April 9 that 300,000 electronic letters to MPs already.
