A left-leaning Ottawa research centre is warning that impending government cuts in an expected March budget could mean the loss of hundreds of Agriculture Canada jobs and deep spending cuts.
In a Jan. 23 report, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives projected that more than 600 Agriculture Canada positions could be eliminated and $220 million cut from the department’s budget over the next several years as the Conservative government looks for ways to balance the budget.
Hard hit would be the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the food inspection system, said David Macdonald from the CCPA.
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“Inspectors’ jobs have already seen disproportionate cuts (workplace safety and food inspection), which may mean more are in the works, this despite Canada’s still-vivid memory of the 2008 listeriosis outbreak,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the agriculture union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which is a sponsor of the CCPA, released a report last week predicting significant food inspector cuts at the CFIA.
Based on departmental projections for 2013-14, union president Bob Kingston representing CFIA inspectors said the agency is projected to lose $21 million in annual budget and 207 food safety officers and inspectors.
Part of the projection was based on an end to more frequent inspections that started after the 2008 listeria outbreak, which killed more than 20 Canadians eating Maple Lead Foods products.
“This looks like an exercise to make regulation cheaper, not safer or smarter,” he told a Parliament Hill news conference. “Ottawa should worry about undermining public confidence with food safety cuts because that will be bad for the industry.”
Kingston said the CFIA recently started a public consultation about proposed new regulations aimed to be more efficient and less onerous for industry, looking more at the safety of products produced rather than how they were produced.
The CFIA said in a statement that the agency budget has not been cut, and while money in earlier budgets for increased inspection and listeria testing were meant to expire after several years, it doesn’t mean they will.
That will be decided in future budgets, including one expected in March.
“While these particular funds are expected to sunset in March 2012, no decision has been made on the renewal of these funds at this time,” said the CFIA response.
“As is done with all federal programs, the CFIA is looking at ways to ensure that our resources provide consumers with the most significant food safety benefits.”
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz noted in a statement the Conservative government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in recent budgets to increase food inspector numbers and to improve the system.
“Canadian families can be assured that the safety of our food supply will not be affected as the agency takes on their standard review of programs and assesses what investments are needed for the future,” he said.
Opposition critics jumped on the predictions of impending cuts.
“Minister Ritz must act responsibly and inform Canadians how many inspectors will be cut, what reductions will occur to the frequency of inspection of food processing facilities and what plans are in place for a future food-borne crisis,” said Liberal agriculture critic Frank Valeriote.
