Enjoy Summer in the Beautiful Ottawa Valley!

June 30, 2008

With the rise of Parliament for the summer recess, I look forward to meeting and speaking with as many constituents as possible. Please, take the time to share your views with me or just say high. Only by sharing your opinions am I able to do my job of representing you. Your concerns are important to me.

The productive Session ended with a controversial proposal by the Opposition in Ottawa to impose a new carbon/gas tax on Canadians. For those constituents who contacted me fearful about rising gas prices and the cost of home heating fuel, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it very clear that our policy is to reduce taxes. Our Conservative Government has no intention of raising taxes to impose some undefined standard of a "perfect society" on everyone else. The last time that was tried it was packaged as a way to fight crime and called the gun registry. The slick liberal gun registry was supposed to be “revenue neutral,” just like the proposed carbon/fuel tax. That bad idea ending up costing taxpayers over a billion dollars.

Broadband High-Speed Internet Update

Thank-you to all those constituents and businesses who have contacted me regarding the need to modernize communications in Renfrew County through high-speed internet. With the announcement by the Provincial Government of a new provincial program, and the confirmation by County Council that it expects local municipal government, to be responsible for communication infrastructure, I encourage citizens to contact their local municipal government about the need for high-speed internet in your area.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, I will be working with the Eastern Ontario Broadband Coalition, the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus, our Federal Government and any interested municipality, to have a plan ready in time for the September deadline. Municipalities, who miss the deadlines for this four year program, will have to wait until after 2012 for the next program in Ontario. I believe that broadband, high-speed internet is essential for the survival and growth of rural and small-town Canada.

Natural Health Products

Amendments introduced by our government to the Food and Drugs Act (Bill C-51) have generated significant mail to my office. Bill C-51 will not affect the way natural health products are regulated in Canada. These products will continue to be regulated under their own unique set of regulations, namely the Natural Health Products Regulations, which came into force in 2004 under the previous government.

The Natural Health Products Regulations already recognize that natural health products are different from drugs, and that the evidence requirements for drugs are not appropriate to natural health products. Bill C-51 does not change this.

Bill C-51 will not convert natural health products into prescription products. Canadians will continue to have the same access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality. Similarly, Bill C-51 does not change the scope of the regulated activities specific to natural health products, which are already identified in the Natural Health Products Regulations. These regulated activities are: manufacturing, packaging, labelling, importation and distribution of natural health products for sale.

The activities of natural health product practitioners continue to fall under provincial jurisdiction, as they do now. Personal use of products by consumers is also not affected by Bill C-51.

The proposed amendments will be debated by the Health Committee in Fall 2008. As your local MP, I am pleased to present any concerns you have to the Committee. Members of the public will have many opportunities to have input into the final Bill.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, I am pleased to represent you on a variety of issues. Whether that issue is eliminating the long gun registry, promoting agriculture, international trade, AECL, the military or jobs in the working forest, I am here to serve you!

As always, if you have any concerns of a federal nature, or just want to share your views with me, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Office contact Information: Constituency Office of Cheryl Gallant, MP, 84 Isabella St., Pembroke On. K8A 5S5 or call 732-4404. If you are long distance you may call the office toll-free at 1-866-295-7165. There is no postage required when you write your Federal Member of Parliament.