Liberal Agriculture Critic Wayne Easter is calling for Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz to appear before the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee to explain why, more than two years after 22 people died from listeriosis, he has no idea what resources are available for the proper inspection of animals in the process of being transported to market.
“This country went through the listeriosis crisis more than two years ago, and yet the Minister still can’t tell Canadians how many inspectors he’s got?” said Mr. Easter. “This government has wasted millions of tax dollars to keep track of its partisan Economic Action Plan signs, and yet they can’t count the number of people responsible for the safety of the food we eat.
“When he was forced to take the crisis seriously, Minister Ritz promised more inspectors and a more secure food inspection system. It’s clear today he still hasn’t implemented the Weatherill recommendations, despite repeated promises to do so,” he said.
Mr. Easter was responding to newly released information that shows the Minister is unable to say how many Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors are stationed across the country to make sure animal health rules are followed during the transport of animals destined for dinner plates. (Postmedia News, Sept. 23, 2010)
“This is simply not good enough,” said Mr. Easter. “In March of this year, Minister Ritz and officials from CFIA told the Agriculture Committee that they had been dedicating more resources to the agency and that they were in the process of hiring upwards of 170 inspectors. Parliament and Canadians have been misled by this government on an issue critical to the safety of Canadians.
“The Minister must come before Committee and explain why – once again – he has failed to live up to his commitments to food safety. Right now, meat headed to the U.S. market undergoes a more rigorous inspection process than meat going to Canadians, and this is just not acceptable,” Mr. Easter said.
The Liberal Party of Canada has committed to implementing a National Food Policy that includes safer food. Through a National Food Policy, the first of its kind in Canada, a future Liberal government will implement all of the Weatherill recommendations and will invest $50 million to improving food inspections and ensure imported foods meet our tough domestic standards.
