Health Canada’s processes for re-approval of glyphosate are exposed in this November 23, 2018 article (17 minute read) by Carl Meyer, “Dying From Cancer, This Man’s Case Has Stunning Repercussions in Canada” in Canada’s National Observer. The trust of a government department whose responsibility it is to make decisions for the nation’s health seems debatable. This piece challenges the due diligence of public scientists and their colleagues.
“Quebec-based advocacy group Équiterre and Environmental Defence, along with Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Prevent Cancer Now and the David Suzuki Foundation sent a letter Aug. 24, 2017 to then-Health Minister Jane Philpott protesting that the evaluation was “deeply flawed” and providing 58 pages of scientific evidence. “We raised multiple issues — for instance, Health Canada failed to consider certain evidence on certain risks, or dismissed other pieces of evidence that we thought were quite critical,” said Ross. “Within that, we raised concerns about the evaluation of their cancer risk assessment as well.”
Without the work of these advocacy groups, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (under Health Canada) would not be reviewing the glyphosate re-approval issue. Regulators who are ill-advised need to be vigorously opposed by the people to ensure that there is no opportunity for the government to continue to put its interests before the interests of Canadians. Effective natural treatments and practices with an impeccable history of safety have increasingly inappropriate levels of scrutiny and regulatory processes placed on them by Health Canada while proven carcinogens like glyphosate are given a pass. We must maintain pressure on government to change harmful courses of action.
