Canadian Monthly Advocacy Update from GCCA

Welcome to the inaugural Canadian Monthly Advocacy Newsletter! GCCA is excited to add this new member benefit as a part of our expanded government affairs activities in Canada. In addition to the newsletter, GCCA is pleased to announce a formal partnership with TACTIX Government Relations and Public Affairs Inc. For over 20 years TACTIX has been a trusted advisor to the food and agriculture industry as well as leading Canadian and Fortune 500 companies, offering experience in solving complex government relations threats and opportunities. Their exceptional insight into the government decision-making process will enable GCCA to eliminate barriers and successfully navigate political landscapes on behalf of the membership. TACTIX is already working with GCCA to develop an overall government affairs strategic plan, provide strategic advice, and assist with the monitoring and reporting of policy and regulatory developments.

In order to maximize the impact of our new Canadian Advocacy efforts, we need your engagement. As you may have seen, we are currently conducting a survey to identify the top policy priorities for members in Canada. If you have not already, please take a few minutes to complete this six-question survey. All survey data is anonymous and only shared in aggregate.

Survey Link HERE.

We will also be scheduling a virtual meeting to introduce TACTIX to Canadian members and discuss next steps in building our advocacy program in Canada. More details to come in the near future.

While we are just getting started, we have already seen the benefits of our partnership with TACTIX as GCCA staff has been able to engage with leadership on the Senate Committee of Agriculture and Forestry. In addition, GCCA has been able to raise the profile of the cold chain by meeting with 20 other Food and Agriculture related associations to discuss key issues facing the industry and help promote our industry in Canada.

GCCA has also had the opportunity to engage with the Food and Agriculture association partners by joining their efforts of requesting the Minister of Labour act expeditiously to limit the work stoppage that had occurred while the Canadian Pacific Railway and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference negotiated their collective bargaining agreement. We saw immediate success when it was announced on March 22, 2022, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference agreed to resolve their remaining collective agreement provisions through binding arbitration and resumed business operations.

We hope you will enjoy the Canadian Monthly Advocacy Newsletter and we look forward to engaging with you to build a strong advocacy program in Canada to promote and protect the cold chain.

Government of Canada Introduces Bill S–6, the Second Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill

In the 2018 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada introduced a requirement to ensure that Canada’s regulatory system continues to adapt to changing technologies and reflects the realities of Canadian businesses.

By seeking Parliament’s approval for regular, common-sense updates to existing regulations, the Government continues to facilitate innovation and business competitiveness, while continuing to protect Canadians’ health, safety, and the environment.

Previously, the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No 1 included a regulatory modernization component that modified 12 pieces of legislation and included changes to digitalize paper-based processes, enable innovation through regulatory sandboxes by allowing exemptions from certain regulatory requirements to test new products, and make changes in consideration of zero-emission vehicles.

On Thursday, March 31, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced Bill S–6, the second Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill. If passed by Parliament, many of the proposed amendments stemming from Bill S–6 would reduce administrative burden for business, facilitate digital interactions with government, simplify regulatory processes, make exemptions from certain regulatory requirements to test new products, and make cross-border trade easier through more consistent and coherent rules across governments.

Some examples of proposed changes in Bill S–6 include:

Changes to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act would allow CFIA to deliver services and businesses to interact with CFIA through electronic means rather than having to rely solely on paper-based transactions. This change would reduce administrative burden for businesses and allow them greater flexibility in their interactions with government.
Amendments to the Canada Transportation Act would enable new mechanisms to be used to more quickly integrate regulatory changes stemming from updates to international transportation safety standards. This would ensure that our transportation sectors meet the most up-to-date safety standards and keep pace with changes in technology and innovation.

GCCA will continue to monitor the progression of this bill and keep the membership informed as new information become available.

Read the text of the full bill HERE.