The New Democratic Party is promising to ban new genetically modified food products and crops from being marketed in Canada, at least temporarily, while clamping down on cosmetic use of potentially harmful pesticides on lawns and in homes.
The environmental lobby group Sierra Club of Canada asked all parties questions about the appropriateness of public hearings into subsidies for the biotechnology industry and their view on supporting municipalities and provinces trying to restrict or ban cosmetic use of potentially dangerous pesticides.
“The NDP commits to placing a moratorium on all new genetically engineered crops, particularly wheat, to protect Canadian markets overseas,” said the party response.
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It also promised to hold public hearings into whether the government should continue subsidizing the biotechnology industry and vowed to legislate mandatory labelling for all products containing GM material.
The NDP promised to restrict cosmetic pesticide use while implementing a polluter-pay law.
Liberal and Conservative parties were far less definitive in their responses.
On the genetic modification issue, the Liberals repeated the usual government assurance that existing regulatory oversight by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada is sufficient to ensure product safety. The party did not respond on whether public hearings into the appropriateness of subsidizing biotech companies should be held.
“The Liberal government is committed to ensuring that biotechnology-derived products are safe for consumers, animals and the environment before these products are allowed in the marketplace,” said the Liberal answer.
The Liberals also defended existing pesticide regulations as adequate. They did not respond to the specific question about curbing cosmetic pesticide use.
The Conservative party said it would work with provinces, territories and municipalities “to ensure that a workable, reasonable and balanced solution on the use of cosmetic pesticides can be reached.”
The party did not respond specifically to the question about subsidies to the biotechnology industry. Instead, it responded generally: “A Conservative government will be conducting a review of all discretionary spending as we determine our government’s spending priorities.”
The Sierra Club released the various party responses last week without comment. It said an analysis of the various party environmental positions will be published once all the platforms have been released.
