Last week, CHFA and representatives from 12 Member companies were in Ottawa for Hill Day activities.
We kicked off our work on The Hill on Monday, May 27, with a fireside chat with Dr. Stephen Ellis, the Shadow Minister for Health and Vice-Chair of Standing Committee on Health (HESA). Dr. Ellis engaged with Members, openly answered questions, and expressed his support and appreciation for the NHP industry in Canada.
On Tuesday, May 28, we started early with a presentation by Impact Public Affairs on the political climate. Aaron Skelton, CHFA President and CEO, and Jules Gorham, Director of Regulatory Affairs, delivered powerful speeches inviting the Prime Minister, Rt. Honourable Justin Trudeau, to listen to Canadians and #SaveOurSupplements.
The group broke out into groups of two for 31 meetings with MPs from all parties:
- 22 Conservative MPs
- 3 with NDP MPs
- 4 Liberal MPs
- 1 Bloc Quebecois
- 3 with NDP MPs
- 1 Independent Senator
We spoke with MPs to express our concerns about the unnecessary red tape, how Health Canada is making it more difficult for compliant Canadian brands to compete with international brands, and how Health Canada's actions disregard important regulatory principles.
Most of the MPs we spoke with mentioned the overwhelming number of postcards they received through the SOS campaign and commended the Canadian public for its efforts.