The federal NDP has issued a statement of concern about what they call the “gutting of pesticide rules” by the Liberal government. The expression of worry follows the passage of Bill C-30 last week.
Bill C-30 is an Act through the Department of Finance designed to implement certain provisions of the Spring Economic Update. It was tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026 and received Royal Assent on June 18.
The NDP says the bill includes provisions that will weaken Canada’s pesticide regulation, such as giving cabinet the power to greenlight pesticide use for reasons of economic or food security. That is seen as a major change to Canada’s Pest Control Products Act, but the legislation doesn’t define or clarify what those security interests would be.
Environment and health organizations — including the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Prevent Cancer Now, SafeFoodMatters.org and Friends of the Earth Canada — as well as scientists from 13 universities (including the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria), have denounced the legislation, saying it marks the largest overhaul of the country’s pesticide rules in a generation.
The Pest Control Products Act was passed in 2002 with a primary purpose to protect human health and the environment. According to CAPE, “the C-30 amendments grant cabinet broad authority to overrule the Health Minister and permit the use of any pesticide found to have unacceptable environmental risks.”
NDP reaction to federal gutting of pesticide rules
On June 18, NDP MP Gord Johns (Courtenay–Alberni), Critic for Health and Agriculture, issued the following statement:
“Today, the Liberal government decided to let corporate lobbyists write the rules on pesticides rather than prioritizing the health and safety of Canadians.
“Instead of passing proposed amendments that could have blunted some of the worst impacts of the bill, the Liberal government chose to shut down debate and fast-track the passing of their omnibus bill.
“The Health Minister met with industry lobbyists 650 times since coming into office. The results of those meetings are now clear. Instead of listening to experts and letting scientific evidence determine pesticide regulations, the government is endangering human health and the environment by dramatically increasing possible exposure to toxic chemicals. These changes critically undermine Canada’s ability to restrict pesticides based on new science.
“This decision is another example of the disturbing pattern from this government to put the interest of Big Business over everyday Canadians.
“With these new rules, the government could re-introduce toxic chemicals with known unacceptable risks to Canada’s environment, impacting our rivers, forests, and communities. We already know that pesticide pollution hurts our biodiversity. By passing this bill without the necessary amendments that were proposed, this Liberal government is not only endangering human health, they also risk failing our international commitments to protect nature.
“This fight isn’t over. New Democrats will continue to ensure that the pesticide regulations that are under threat in Bills C-30 and C-31 remain in place.”