Media Releases
September 10, 2008
“Canadians have been alarmed by recent revelations about unsafe food making it to our store shelves,” said Mr. Dion. “An important lesson from what happened in Walkerton is that a government cannot cut corners when it comes time to protecting the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of so-called efficiencies.”
To ensure that lunch meats and other foods are safe for all of us, a Liberal government will invest to get government inspectors back on the floors of food processing plants in order to focus more on keeping the food we eat safe rather than paperwork. In addition, a new Liberal government will conduct a food safety review to ensure that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has the right number of inspectors and resources in an ongoing way.
“A Liberal government will make the necessary investments to ensure that the food we all eat is as safe as it can be,” he said.
Mr. Dion was joined by Walkerton Mayor Charlie Bagnato, whose community was devastated by the deadly tainted water tragedy in 2000 that killed seven people and made thousands of Ontarians ill.
Mr. Dion reiterated Mayor Bagnato’s call for a full public inquiry into the current listeriosis outbreak – not the watered-down “investigation” announced by the Prime Minister. As Mayor Bagnato stated on August 29, 2008 “Governments should have learned from the mistakes that led to the tragedy in Walkerton. I am completely shocked that Mr. Harper has opted to make the same mistakes nationally that led to our disaster…Food safety is not just a line item in a budget; it is about keeping our families safe.”
As the final report into the Walkerton tragedy concludes, the government should ensure that adequate resources are provided to ensure that these inspections are thorough and effective.
“By recruiting more inspectors, ensuring inspectors have access to the best technology and expanding inspection efforts of both home-grown and imported foods, Canadians will be able to have greater faith in the food we all eat. More inspection means more safety for all Canadians,” he said.
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Liberals will invest in food safety
WALKERTON, Ontario – A new Liberal government will invest an additional $50 million to build a more robust food safety net, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion announced today.“Canadians have been alarmed by recent revelations about unsafe food making it to our store shelves,” said Mr. Dion. “An important lesson from what happened in Walkerton is that a government cannot cut corners when it comes time to protecting the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of so-called efficiencies.”
To ensure that lunch meats and other foods are safe for all of us, a Liberal government will invest to get government inspectors back on the floors of food processing plants in order to focus more on keeping the food we eat safe rather than paperwork. In addition, a new Liberal government will conduct a food safety review to ensure that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has the right number of inspectors and resources in an ongoing way.
“A Liberal government will make the necessary investments to ensure that the food we all eat is as safe as it can be,” he said.
Mr. Dion was joined by Walkerton Mayor Charlie Bagnato, whose community was devastated by the deadly tainted water tragedy in 2000 that killed seven people and made thousands of Ontarians ill.
Mr. Dion reiterated Mayor Bagnato’s call for a full public inquiry into the current listeriosis outbreak – not the watered-down “investigation” announced by the Prime Minister. As Mayor Bagnato stated on August 29, 2008 “Governments should have learned from the mistakes that led to the tragedy in Walkerton. I am completely shocked that Mr. Harper has opted to make the same mistakes nationally that led to our disaster…Food safety is not just a line item in a budget; it is about keeping our families safe.”
As the final report into the Walkerton tragedy concludes, the government should ensure that adequate resources are provided to ensure that these inspections are thorough and effective.
“By recruiting more inspectors, ensuring inspectors have access to the best technology and expanding inspection efforts of both home-grown and imported foods, Canadians will be able to have greater faith in the food we all eat. More inspection means more safety for all Canadians,” he said.
Click here for more information.
