The Consumers Council of Canada welcomes the introduction of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, Bill C-36, in the House of Commons and the continued movement toward improved consumer protection of Canadian consumers from unsafe products.
The legislation is predominantly based on an earlier bill, C-6, which had passed the House of Commons and had been referred back by the Senate shortly before Parliament’s recent prorogation, leading to a procedural requirement for the legislation to be reintroduced in Parliament.
If enacted, the new law would improve consumer protection by:
Prohibiting the manufacture, importation, marketing or sale of consumer products deemed or proven unsafe to human health or safety;
Requiring companies to quickly inform the government of products linked to a serious incident, death, or product safety issue;
Requiring manufacturers or importers to provide test/study results on products when asked;
Empowering Health Canada to recall unreasonably dangerous consumer products; and
Making it an offence to package or label consumer products that make false or deceptive health or safety claims.
“The substance of this legislation has been debated in multiple sessions of Parliament. In the recent past, all parties in the House of Commons have supported this legislation,” said Consumers Council of Canada President Don Mercer. “The time has come to pass it. Canadians deserve the higher level of consumer protection from dangerous products already enjoyed in the United States and Europe.”
The Consumers Council of Canada is Canada’s most active, countrywide multi-issue consumer group. The Council helps business and government manage today’s consumer issues. It aims to create an efficient, equitable, effective and safe marketplace. Organized as an independent, not-for-profit organization, the Council was federally incorporated in 1994.