The Globe and Mail reports this morning that, “Parliament has voted down a bill that sought to strengthen regulatory laws that govern the export of genetically modified crops. …Alex Atamanenko, an NDP MP, renewed the debate last year by introducing C-474, a private member’s bill that would have required a regulatory review of the potential harm to demand for Canadian exports of a particular GMO before its approval, on top of current examinations for its safety for feed, human consumption and environmental release. The bill died on Wednesday evening by a vote of 178-98, after Conservative and Liberal MPs united to quash it. …Federal Conservatives have consistently opposed Bill C-474, arguing farmers deserve access to innovative technology to be competitive. …Liberal MP Wayne Easter said the bill lacked depth and would have created undue uncertainty around biotechnology.”
The Council of Canadians has consistently supported C-474 as far back as October 2010, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=5006.
The Council of Canadians is a member of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network which will be issuing a media release on the outcome of this vote shortly.
