Dear Editor:

(Re: Senator Doug Finley)

By rushing a new law through the House of Commons with only a few minutes of discussion and not hearing from any citizens or businesses who object to it, the government makes like it has not heard warnings of the serious harm the new law will bring on.

Letters of concern to MP Diane Finley were ignored and not answered. Therefore I appeal now in an open letter to you, and especially because this law is now before the Senate.

The Consumer Product Safety Act (Bill C-36) is the new law disgracefully passed with hardly a word in the House of Commons, and now it is before Canada's Senate.

The government seems to have made a deal with the NDP, Liberals, and Bloc to keep this issue dumbed down and out of the spotlight. No controversy in Parliament means passing this law gets no attention in the media. Will the Senate be silent too?

How many Canadians know that Health Canada will now be allowed to trespass in business premises and seize product without a judge's warrant? And that being charged under the new law means you are 'guilty until proven innocent'?

Why is the government removing accountability from Health Canada bureaucrats? With no court or judge keeping an eye on Health Canada, it is only a matter of time before Health Canada raids an innocent business, that will not be able to defend itself, since Health Canada is prosecutor, judge and jury. -- Goodbye to a life's work building up a business, and the lost investment. Too bad also for the employees to be laid off.

Under confederation, health is supposed to be a provincial jurisdiction, yet nary a whisper about this incursion by the feds?

Many Canadians are also alarmed by a part of this bill that enables the governments of Canada's trading partners to impose basically foreign regulations onto Canadian businesses. Under the new law, Health Canada will be mandated to adopt any regulatory changes that trading partners may be pressing for, without debate or vote from our parliament. Why the silence of all the parties on this?

Are we not paying our MPs and Senators to do a job? It is their job to make laws for Canadians, not let Health Canada bureaucrats do it for them, by adopting and enforcing regulations from other countries, which may be unsuitable and hurt Canadian businesses.

You should not be giving away our democratic right to preserve a sovereign Canadian government to protect us. Letting Health Canada bureaucrats adopt foreign regulations for Canada without going before Parliament is wrong. You are taking away our rights.

Sadly, PM Stephen Harper actually admits on a recent Youtube video that our independence is being sacrificed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McWAnMWoSyY

While one could agree there are instances where Canadians' health and safety need protection by a law, why not simply update the Hazardous Products Act? Health Canada used its powers under the old law to get Bisphenol (in baby bottles) taken off the market in 2008. In contrast, the new law undermines our rights by making anyone that Health Canada targets 'guilty until proven innocent', and can hit them with ruinous daily fines. This removal of our normal protection of individuals and business through a court of law undermines our constitutional rights and pushes us centuries backwards.

It is not too late for you to stop the dangerous parts of this bill.

Zeb Landon
Simcoe, Ontario