Senate debates consumer protection bill

The Senateon Wednesday began hearingson a consumer protection billthat could fundamentally change how dangerous products are recalled from the marketplace.

If passed, the new act would require manufacturers and distributors to prove products are safe. It would also allow the government to order the recall of dangerous products.

"It basically says to suppliers you cannot manufacture, import, advertise or sell a consumer product that poses an unreasonable danger to human health and safety," said Robert Ianiro, director of the consumer product safety bureau at Health Canada.

"That is very important because it creates a safety net that doesn't currently exist."

The current consumer safety net is the 40-year-old Hazardous Products Act, which gives the government only limited consumer protection powers.

For instance, under the current legislation, the government cannot order a product recall. It must instead convince the manufacturer to voluntarily recall unsafe products.

'We need to approach product safety a little more proactively and more broadly.' Hari Bapuji, University of Manitoba business professor

In an era of globalization, that approach does not serve consumers well, says Hari Bapuji, a University of Manitoba business professor.

"We need to approach product safety a little more proactively and more broadly," he said in an interview with CBC News.

So far this year, Health Canada has posted more than 300 voluntary recall notices, a third of them for children's products.

The government says new legislation will give it more muscle to order a product recall, impose fines on the makers and sellers of dangerous products and the authority to order independent testing.

While he supports the bill, Bupuji worries about Health Canada's ability to enforce new legislation.

"We are not going to get the full benefits of legislation unless we reform Health Canada and give more resources to them," he said.

The government hopes to have the bill passed within the next few weeks. By then, it has promised to double the number of consumer product safety inspectors.