Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker,
Since the Minister of Health refuses to answer public health questions, today I have a question for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The inability of the Conservative government to properly regulate XL Foods has put Canadians and the Canadian beef industry at risk.
Today we learned that the plant may be headed for a new foreign ownership. This will not fix the problem.
Only an independent audit of CFIA by the Auditor General will ensure improved health and safety protocols to better protect Canadian food.
Will the government commit to this audit here and now?
Hon. Gerry Ritz (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC):
Mr. Speaker,
Regardless of who is managing the day to day operations of XL Foods, there will be a robust food safety system adjudicated by CFIA on a day to day basis.
To talk about the review the member is screaming about, there is an expert panel that was constructed during the Weatherill report. That expert panel will be doing a concise review and we will table that publicly.
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