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441-01920 (Health)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

Whereas:

  • Liberals are threatening access to Natural Health Products through new rules that will mean higher costs and fewer products available on store shelves;
  • New so-called 'cost recovery' provisions would impose massive costs on all consumers of Natural Health Products and undermine access for Canadians who rely on these products; and
  • Provisions in the latest Liberal omnibus budget have given the government substantial new arbitrary powers around the regulation of Natural Health Products.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the Government of Canada to reverse the changes made in the latest Liberal budget regarding Natural Health Products.

Response by the Minister of Health

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Mark Holland

Health Canada recognizes that natural health products (NHPs) are important to Canadians to help support and maintain their health and is committed to supporting access to natural health products that are safe and of high quality.

While NHPs are generally lower risk products, that does not mean they are without risk, especially if products are contaminated, or used improperly.

In 2021, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development completed an audit of Health Canada’s NHP program and found both strengths and areas for improvement. Health Canada committed to undertaking a number of initiatives to improve the oversight of these products.

In an effort to make natural health products safer for consumers and support Canadians in making informed choices, Health Canada recently introduced two important regulatory and legislative changes:

  • In July 2022, after extensive consultation and feedback from stakeholders, Health Canada introduced new regulatory requirements to make natural health product labels easier for Canadians to read and understand. This includes, for example, increased font size and improved colour contrast.
  • In June 2023,  Parliament passed legislation enabling Health Canada to take more action if a serious risk to health is identified with a natural health product. This legislation allows Health Canada to order recalls or add warnings to labels, if necessary, which the Department could not do before.

Presently, NHPs are the only line of health products where the regulatory activities are fully funded by Canadian taxpayers.

Health Canada knows that many NHP companies are small businesses and is committed to supporting them. The Department is considering measures to help alleviate the impact of fees on businesses.  This includes fee reductions of 25% to 50% and a full waiver of pre-market evaluation fees for small businesses marketing their first product.

Health Canada is actively reviewing thousands of comments received on its fee proposal, including those relating to the proposed fee reductions for small businesses, as part of an open and transparent consultation process with Canadians and businesses. At this time,  Health Canada is considering how best to adjust the  proposed approach to address concerns raised prior to further engagement with stakeholders.

Ultimately, this initiative is about ensuring Canadians have access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality, while supporting small businesses through this process.

Presented to the House of Commons
Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan)
November 9, 2023 (Petition No. 441-01920)
Government response tabled
January 29, 2024
Photo - Garnett Genuis
Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan
Conservative Caucus
Alberta

29 signatures

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.