LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- August 14, 2007
Letter to the Editor:
I have received much support from the constituents of BC Southern Interior regarding three Private Members Bills I tabled in the House of Commons this past spring.
Bill C-452 to return 100% of GST to school authorities instead of only 68%, tabled on behalf of a request by Canadian School Authorities, would benefit every school in Canada and eliminate a bureaucratic nightmare caused by a ridiculous tax upon a tax.
Bill C-448 to ban Terminator Seed technology in Canada, was tabled in response to hundreds of letters and many petitions my office received from concerned constituents and citizens across the country opposed to this dangerously unpredictable technology which offers no benefits to farmers or the environment.
Bill C-456 would require the mandatory labeling of Genetically Modified food, a secret ingredient found in over 70% of processed food on grocery store shelves.
I agree with the comment by Penny Priddy, NDP MP for Surrey North and one time BC Health Minister, "people have a right to know what they are putting in their body".
Bill C-456 also responds to the recent poll which found that 79% of BC residents support mandatory labeling of GM food legislation.
The safety of eating GM food is far from certain.
New evidence of toxicity in GM corn has been determined by the French research institute CRIIGEN which found abnormalities in the size of livers and kidneys, as well as in birth weights of rats fed Monsanto's NK603 corn, approved in Canada since 2002.
There are even those who would like to see a complete ban on GM foods, such as the Rice Producers of California, whose market study documents powerful opposition to this technology in several key export destinations such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Turkey.
The widespread suspicion, leading to labeling requirements in over 40 countries, has been fostered largely by the culture of secrecy surrounding this technology.
In a world where consumer confidence and public safety assurances are vital for the success of any industry, the purveyors of genetically modified food have been given a free ride. Without the traceability provided by labeling, GM food cannot be linked to any health problems it may be causing, and leaves society to pay all associated costs.
The biotech industry has a long way to go to inspire the public confidence needed to succeed in an informed marketplace.
In the meantime why not put a law in place that ensures we are properly informed about what we choose to eat and make this multi billion dollar industry responsible for proving itself in the marketplace.
- Alex Atamanenko, MP BC Southern Interior
