On The Eve Of Bush’s Visit Is Another Canadian Industry Under Threat?
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Hot on the heels of the announcement from the WTO that a host of nations can apply strong sanctions against the United States for legislation that allows U.S. companies to receive duties collected from foreign competitors, comes news that the Canadian mail order/international pharmaceutical industry will face similar bullying tactics.
Currently being floated is Bill C-282, introduced by Liberal M.P. Wajid Khan (Mississauga-Streetsville) that would amend the federal Food and Drug Act that applies to pharmaceuticals. It would severely affect Canadian pharmacies employing thousands of workers primarily in Western Canada. But that is only part of the larger story.
President George Bush is due in town next week, and he will be carrying with him a host of wishes and wants. Certainly national missile defence, softwood lumber, and beef/cattle exports will be on his agenda, but not being mentioned very loudly is the issue of cross border drug sales. Some of Bush’s largest campaign donors are the same Pharmaceutical giants that have been pressuring and bullying both the U.S. and Canadian governments to end cross border drug sales. While they claim to be doing so because it is unsafe and unethical, they have offered no proof to back up their claims. This is simply another issue of Canadian businesses working hard to make a profit while drawing the ire of U.S. corporate giants.
When companies like Pfizer ($3.9 million in Donations 1999-2004), Bristol-Myers Squibb ($3.4 million in Donations 1999-2004), and GlaxoSmithKline ($3 million in Donations 1999-2004) give so much campaign money; it becomes painfully apparent that they want something in return. Drug manufactures have been nothing less than obvious of their disdain for Canadians eating away at their profits, with Swiss Novartis going as far as making public threats. “Why should we deliver quantities far higher than are needed in Canada”, stated Novartis Chairman Daniel Vasella. Echoing this sentiment was our own Health Ministry, as a spokesperson for Ujjal Dosanjh said, “Some of them are definitely talking about that.”
So what is at stake in this newest cross-border trade dispute? First the US pharmaceutical industry and their sounding cards in Canada claim that Canadian supplies are in danger, and the potential exists for unsafe drugs to enter the United States. Both those statements hold no water under further examination. There is no documented shortage anywhere in Canada of any needed drug. Neither will there be as long as the supply from the major drug manufactures remains unimpeded. Their capacity to supply the needs of North Americans is not under threat beyond any artificially created by themselves to stem the loss of profits from their Canadian competitors. As well the notion that unsafe drugs will be entering the United States is one that is rather specious, especially in light of the flu vaccine shortage. George Bush himself during the Presidential debates said, “We’re working with Canada to hopefully — that they’ll produce a — help us realize the vaccine necessary to make sure our citizens have got flu vaccinations during this upcoming season.” So which is it, our drug supplies are safe, or are they dangerous? Or are they only dangerous when it cuts into U.S. drug company profits?
Also at stake is Canadian sovereignty and Canadian jobs. Mentioned earlier, Bill C-282 would in essence ensure that the federal Minister of Health would have to apply U.S. law when deciding whether to issue export permits. U.S. laws would then be the deciding factor in how we conduct our own business and affairs. This would set a nasty precedent.
Currently, U.S. law does not prohibit the importation of medications from Canada. The proposed law would though require the Minister to monitor any and all changes to U.S. law and then apply it to Canadians.
“It’s a sellout of Canadian sovereignty and Canadian industry and jobs,” said Dr. Paul Zickler of Doctorsolve Healthcare Solutions in White Rock, British Columbia. “Imagine a law that said, ‘The Canadian government will enforce against its own citizens any future U.S. trade restrictions on softwood lumber.”
The Canadian mail order/international pharmaceutical industry employs an estimated 3000 Canadians directly and a much larger number of Canadians indirectly in supporting industries such as Canadian generic drug makers, pharmaceutical wholesalers, website development companies and computer programming firms. Bill C-282 threatens these jobs. Canada Post will also lose very significant revenues given that the national postal agency currently delivers more than two and a half million pharmaceutical packages a year to the United States.
So one of Canada’s fastest growing business sectors may simply be legislated out of existence for no other reason than making too much money at the expense of multi-national corporations. Hardly sounds like ‘free trade’ does it? For our American readers, especially those with limited incomes and/or no health care, this will also affect your ability to have access to drugs at prices you can afford.
@ November 27, 2004