The petition to amend or repeal Bill C-30 was opened on Sept. 25
Photo via UVSS.ca.
A fourth year political science student is petitioning the federal government to repeal changes passed earlier this year, allowing the federal cabinet to authorize the use of pesticides deemed unsafe by Health Canada.
The Pest Control Products Act protects the health and safety of human beings and the environment by regulating pest control products.
Bill C-30 is an omnibus bill, which means that it affects several Acts. Its changes to the Pest Control Products Act allow the federal cabinet to authorize the use of pesticides that Health Canada has determined to be risks for human health or for the environment if their use is deemed in the interest of economic or food security, but does not define what those interests may be.
The petition calls upon the federal government to amend or repeal the specific provisions allowing the cabinet to override the pesticide risk assessments by Health Canada.
The petition has been open for signatures since Sept. 25, and already has over 2 000 signatories at the time of publication.
It also calls for pesticide approval decisions to be independent from political influence, and a commitment to full public and parliamentary review for future changes to the Pest Control Products Act.
The petition was created by fourth year political science student Alena Gavrilenko, who also serves on the UVSS Board of Directors as a director-at-large, and has been sponsored by Gord Johns, Member of Parliament of Courtenay-Alberni.
In an interview with the Martlet, Gavrilenko said, “[the bill] allows cabinet to override Health Canada and authorize the use of banned pesticides in the interests of economic or national food security, or in response to a seriously detrimental infestation.”
Gavrilenko, who hosts gardening workshops in her community in Saanich, said she first heard about Bill C-30 — and the concerns of community members — this summer through the workshops.
“I realized that it was actually a very prominent issue, because all of the neighbours then started speaking up against it.”
One of Gavrilenko’s main concerns with the bill is its vagueness. “The amendments do not specify requirements for how they will actually be considered.”
“Especially under these vague provisions, then you might be able to use these pesticides under anything that the cabinet deems is an emergency,” she said.
The main change she wants to see come from the petition is to take pesticide changes out of the bill and handle reform through a standalone process, through which scientists, farmers, and the public can be heard.
The petition currently has over 500 signatories from B.C., more than any other province except for Ontario. Gavrilenko think the petition is attracting attention due to widespread concerns around affordability.
“They are promised a golden age where everything is cheap,” she said. “When they see things like this happen, without appropriate consultation, they know that corporate lobbying [is] influencing their well-being and their health.”
She also said that this is a broad issue, because it does not only affect certain groups of people. “We all consume this food and we all share the environment,” she said.
Gavrilenko said she realizes that a petition alone is not enough. “My goal is to try to spread the word as much as possible about this issue and to mobilize individuals, because simply signing a petition and having Gord Johns present it in parliament is not going to enforce change unless there is broader media coverage.”
“I think it’s our responsibility as people to fight for our quality of life as a society and as a collective,” she said.
In an emailed statement to the Martlet, Johns said that Canadians deserve decisions about pesticide safety based on science, not political priorities.
“I’m deeply concerned that Bill C-30 gives Cabinet the power to override decisions made by Health Canada when scientific experts determine that a pesticide poses unacceptable risks to our environment,” he said in the statement.
Johns acknowledged in his email that food security matters, but so does the protection of Canadians’ health, farmers, and future generations.
He said he chose to sponsor Gavrilenko’s petition to call “on the government to repeal these provisions, and restore public confidence in a pesticide safety system guided by independent scientific evidence, transparency, and the public interest.”
