On June 20 2024 Canada's Bill C-69 the Budget 2024 or An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024 received Royal Assent and became law. While most of the act was dealing with issues of finance it also contained Division 31 authorizing the minister of Health do essentially do what ever in the belief they want to do. No requirement for science or evidence to support their actions in for example declaring which Health supplements can be sold in Canada, how doctors prescribe and use medication. The arbitrary powers even extend to giving the minister carte blanch to do as they wish in the area of veterinary medicine. Shawn Buckley the president of the Nation Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) has written a discussion paper on concerns about Division 31 of the budget. The concerns he outlines in the document are frightening in their scope, essentially giving the Minister of Health complete control of people and animal’s health. From my perspective one of the worst things is all the minister needs do ban supplements, drugs from sale and even the use of these items if they have a belief, no science or facts required to support the decision.
Mr Buckley was invited to speak to the finance committee during the Standing Committee on Finance during the Consideration in Committee stage. This is the stage where the finance committee is expected to do a clause by clause study and make recommendations for amendments in the bill before being returned to parliament. Despite Mr. Buckley’s strong presentation and reason to remove Division 31 from the bill nothing was done, even the opposition allowed the section to be included without meaningful opposition.
Considering this bill could be said to be extending the provisions of the previous years budget bill by a considerable margin. The provisions in the 2023 budget were the subject of a private member’s bill to with draw the budgets restriction on National Health Products. The private Member’s bill received unanimous support from the opposition parties.
Why were they silent on this point during the budget 2024 debate. Yes some opposition parties made a show of voting against the budget when it returned to the house, but the protests then were just for show when they knew the passing of the budget was a done deal. Of course the opposition party that is not opposition but sold their soul so the could bask in the now rapidly dimming radiance of the governing party did support the bill ensuring it would pass.
It has become increasingly clear that no political party is interested in the will of the people, have political parties past their best before date.
No federal politician did not know the population wants access to the supplements they feel or better put know they need to achieve optimum health. In addition to the numerous letters, emails and calls to MPs to save our supplements there were also over a million post cards sent. Apparently the politicians in Ottawa do not understand the 1,000,000 postcards demanding they save our supplements is a
meaningful number of voters. They apparently need more encouragement to save our supplements (SOS), the need more letters, emails and postcards – most health food stores across the country have postcards available to send to our MPs. Saving Our Supplements is a SOS moment for Canadians concerned about taking responsibility for their personal health .
Keep sending those cards and letter to our elected officials.
The extraordinary powers the recently passed budget gives to the Canada's Minister of Health