Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Good laws demand good enforcement

An article in the Star points out a problem with the new product safety law. Good legislation is only as good as the enforcement. If there are not enough inspectors to guarantee enforcement what is a good law will be of little use. The Conservatives may be creating another illusion of good government and gulling the people again.

"However, there was only vague assurance that this tough approach will be backed up with more inspectors, which critics said is the key to sending the message Canada will not be a dumping ground for unsafe toys, food or drugs.

"I don't know how this heralds a new day when they aren't prepared to back up the enforcement with many more new inspectors," said Liberal MP Dan McTeague, the party's consumer issues critic.

McTeague (Pickering-Scarborough East) said the proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act is really just a rewrite of the existing Hazardous Products Act, which he says wasn't enforced either.

"They are very clever at making it sound tougher than it is," NDP critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North) said. "

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