Food inspection 'disaster' looms - Harper deregulation

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=cdb61ee5-5a3e-46bd-a40a-5c18360bce38

Food inspection 'disaster' looms
Expert calls planned deregulation 'unfathomable'
Sarah Schmidt , Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008

OTTAWA - A government plan to transfer key parts of food inspection to industry so companies can police themselves will put the health of Canadians at risk, according to leading food safety experts who have reviewed the confidential blueprint.

The plan, drafted by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and approved by the Treasury Board details sweeping changes coming to food inspection in Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also ending funding to producers to test cattle for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or Mad Cow Disease) as part of a surveillance program.
Alexandra Beier/Reuters


The new system, part of a push to trim the agency's budget by five per cent, was approved last November, but a public announcement "has been deferred owing to significant communications risks," according to the confidential Treasury Board document obtained by Canwest News Service.

Harper seriously doesn't want a majority. With all the stories about the effects of food inspection deregulation in the states, and Harper decides to follow along? So much for his reputation as a master political tactician. Political kamikaze more like.

as iterated in the SPP (Security and Prosperity Plan). Instead of the US increasing their protection of their citizens in the area of food inspection we are reducing ours. Appalling, simply appalling.

http://www.canadians.org/integratethis/