Alberta Senator Elaine McCoy recognizes Bill C-6 as “totalitarian”

Mr. Harper’s government may be winning the race for positive media attention these days, but a quick look at its legislative program in the Senate would suggest that it has run out of steam once again. Only 7 bills remain on the Order Paper. Fully 5 of them would escalate criminal penalties and enforcement powers if passed. State compulsion is obviously a popular approach with the Conservatives (their oft-repeated slogan being “get tough on crime”), but when it spills over into matters such as consumer product protection someone needs to question whether we haven’t gone too far altogether.

Take Bill C-6, for example. Under the guise of protecting Canadians from harmful consumer products, the government wants to expand its network of inspectors and equip them with criminal and quasi-criminal powers that far exceed what even food and drug inspectors enjoy these days. Surely we don’t require such totalitarian tactics to address consumer safety issues, important as they are. Indeed, lessons learned from the Listeriosis tragedy would suggest that we do not. Sheila Weatherill, who independently reviewed the federal government’s failed response mechanisms in the face of a serious breach of safe meat processing practices in Canada, issued 57 detailed recommendations to improve future performance. Not one of them called for increased legislative powers. Instead, she specifically stated that sufficient authority already exists for government officials to take effective action. If only they would … and that seems to be the real issue, time and time again.

The same problem lay at the root of complaints about Navigable Waters Protection inspectors last spring. “No action”, said the critics. “No power,” said the officials. “Give us more and we’ll do better.” We gave them more, but just this week I received a long email documenting the very same lack of action that prevailed before the Act was amended.

I think we need a little more compassion here. Let’s address these worthy issues on an operational level. Let’s figure out what resources, training and effective management skills are required to ensure professional, timely and fully appropriate performance on the part of our officials (including Ministers). And let’s stop criminalizing our world.