Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray was hoping that Canada’s new Consumer Product Safety Act would have a sharper bite.

The act, Bill C-6, was passed by the House of Commons on June 12. It will give the federal government some new powers to curtail the selling of lead-tainted toy imports, for example, such as hiring more inspectors and the ability to order a recall. But, as Murray pointed out in the House, it stops short of identifying many potentially hazardous compounds and forcing their removal.

“I am particularly concerned about the impact of consumer products containing chemicals and toxins that I have noted, such as pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, arsenic, lead, or mercury in products that children have access to, children’s products such as toys and clothing,” Murray said on June 12.

“Other countries have done the job of removing access to these toxic and carcinogenic compounds from consumers,” the Liberal MP added. “Canada has not done that yet. We still need to do that, and Bill C-6 does not do the job.”

The bill was introduced in the Senate on June 9.

Murray noted that, while the bill was in committee, the Liberals tried to pass an amendment to recognize over 700 chemicals—toxins, carcinogens, hormone disrupters, and persistent organic pollutants—that are likely be harmful to humans, and “that they be removed over time if the minister could not show reason that they were absolutely essential to stay in consumer products aimed at children”.

The current chemical management process, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, is notoriously slow to address toxins, Murray said.

The NDP’s Glenn Thibeault, the MP for Sudbury, had called for the labelling of known toxins on consumer products. He had also asked for a clause in the new act, requiring companies to publicly disclose consumer-safety problems after they’ve been found.

Neither of his concerns were addressed in the final bill.

“Upon questioning of government representatives when this issue came up, it was stated that companies would be less likely to report unbecoming behaviour if they knew it would lead to public scrutiny,” Thibeault said in the House on April 30. “What is more important, a business’ bottom line or the safety of consumers?”

Thibeault said he was suspicious of the heavy hand of government in this bill, saying it is out of character for the Conservatives. He said he doubted it would result in greater product safety for Canadians.

“Changes need to be made to the legislation to hold the government accountable and responsible for maintaining an adequate inspection capacity and staff to process, investigate and respond to the new reporting system. Without proper enforcement measures holding the government to task to act, there is no guarantee that any action will occur.”