Aug 21 – Possible Changes to the Hazardous Products Act (Canada)

In Feds to review legislation on importing goods the Canadian Press indicates that the Canadian government is considering changes to the Hazardous Products Act:

Health Minister Tony Clement says the Canadian government is putting together a plan to deal with counterfeit and dangerous imported products.

Clement told a meeting of the Canadian Medical Association on Monday that recent concerns about lead in toys from China and bacteria in toothpaste from South Africa pose major safety concerns. Clement said parents have the right to know their children’s health won’t be compromised because of dangerous products that Canada imports.

He later told reporters the government will review gaps in legislation, standards and regulations when it comes to foreign goods – including food – coming into Canada.

“What I’ve said to my reviewers is that this cannot languish on for months, that it really has to be a full-scale review, that it really has to come to a conclusion, knowing full well that there’s a fall sitting of Parliament,” Clement said.

The minister said the Hazardous Products Act has not been amended in at least 10 years but meanwhile, the amount of foreign products being manufactured by some countries has doubled and tripled in recent years.

We’ll be following potential changes to the HPA very closely.