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Pest Management Advisory Council: Summary of affiliations and interests

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Purpose

The following summarizes details regarding the affiliations and interests relevant to the Pest Management Advisory Council (PMAC) mandate declared by committee members. Health Canada considered these declarations as part of the selection process and has made this summary available as part of its commitment to be transparent about the membership of its advisory bodies.

In accordance with Health Canada's Policy on External Advisory Bodies, a person with affiliations and interests related to the mandate of an advisory body may still be appointed as a member of the advisory body. Depending on the nature of the member's affiliations or interests, their participation in the Council's activities may be restricted. Potential actions may include recusals from certain discussions where there is conflict, or the inability to formulate recommendations or contribute to written advice. In some cases, conflict of interest may result in the termination of the individual's membership on the Council. Summaries of members' affiliations and interests are reviewed on an ongoing basis and updated as required.

Members are asked on an ongoing basis to declare the following affiliations and interests:

  1. Direct financial interests
    1. Current employment, investments in companies, partnerships, equity, royalties, joint ventures, trusts, real property, stocks, shares or bonds, with the regulated industry
  2. Indirect financial interests
    1. Within the past five years, payment from regulated industry for work done or being done, including past employment, contracts or consulting; or financial support including research support, personal education grants, contributions, fellowships, sponsorships, and honoraria.
    2. Within the past five years, materials, discounted products, gifts, or other benefits, or attendance at meetings where all or part of the travel and accommodation costs were provided by the regulated industry.
    3. Within the last three years, grants or other funding from the regulated industry to any of the organizations where the member is currently employed or participates in internal decision-making.
  3. Intellectual interests
    1. Within the last five years, any formal advice or opinion to industry, a government organization or a non-government organization on a matter of relevance to the PMAC
    2. Within the last five years, any published or publicly stated point of view on issues of relevance to the PMAC mandate
    3. Current professional or volunteer affiliations such as membership of professional/scientific societies, lobbying, public interest or advocacy groups, of relevance to the PMAC
  4. Other
    1. Any other affiliations and interests or potential circumstances that might give a well-informed member of the public reasonable grounds for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of your participation

Summary of affiliations and interests

The table below provides a summary of the responses to each corresponding question from committee members as of March 23, 2022.

Name

Summary of responses

Pierre Charest

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) No

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: None to declare.

Greg Bartley

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) No

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: As Director of Crop Protection and Crop Quality with Pulse Canada, the member participates in various meetings and workshops, including the NAFTA Trilateral Working Group on Pesticides, representing growers on diverse aspects including pesticides and pesticide-related trade priorities.

Paleah Black Moher

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) Yes

3 (a) No

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: As part of member’s role at Carcinogen Exposure Canada (CAREX), the member provided comments on request to the media on the toxicity of various substances, including pesticides, and evidence of possible links to cancer. CAREX’s work on carcinogen exposure is of relevance to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s mandate.

CAREX Canada has a formal working group relationship with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), which meets biannually to share current work and opportunities to collaborate.

Shannon Coombs

1 Yes

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) Yes

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: As President of the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association that represents manufacturers of pest control products, the member has provided written submission and letters to both the federal and provincial governments, in the context of reflecting the views of the Association’s members.

Ian Cuthbert

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) No

3 (c) Yes

4 No
Comments: Member is employed by the Canadian Public Health Association. The Canadian Public Health Association is an independent organization that advocates for public health, speaking for people and populations to all levels of government.

Toni Grewal

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: Member is affiliate representative on the Canadian Labour Congress Health and Safety Advisory Committee.

Lisa Gue

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: Member has submitted comments, been quoted in the media, made representations to public office holders, and developed web content on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation in relation to pesticide regulation. Member is listed as contact person in relation to recommendations for investments in pesticide regulation, published by the Green Budget Coalition.

Brian Innes

1 No

2 (a) Yes

2 (b) No

2 (c) Yes

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: Member is employed by Soy Canada since May 2021, and by the Canola Council of Canada since 2011. Canola Council and Soy Canada members include life science companies who produce and sell crop protection products. Member is also a board member of the Canada Grains Council.

As spokesperson for the Canola Council, member was involved in communicating industry needs to governments, including in the area of pest management regulation. This has included providing statements to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. The member has also commented in the media about canola sector interests in pest management regulation.

Jeremy Kerr

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No
Comments: As the University Research Chair in Macroecology and Conservation, member has worked on research publications on the topic of measured aspects of pesticide use and tested pesticide use for possible links with differences in species persistence in regions of Canada and the United States. Member has provided commentary to the media related to pesticides. Member is a member of the following scientific societies: the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Ecological Society of America.

Melanie Langille

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) No

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: Member has previous involvement in supporting provincial cosmetic pesticide ban on behalf of her organization. Member participates in public engagement in relation to the Chemicals Management Plan.

Rebecca Lee

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) Yes

4 No

Comments: Member has provided advice or opinion to House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, and to the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Member submitted a response to public consultation on the Federal Government’s Regulatory Review. Member is a volunteer on the Canadian Council on Invasive Species, and the Canadian Plant Health Council.

Karsten Liber

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: Member has published many journal articles relevant to the mandate of the Council.

Victor Odele

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) No

3 (b) No

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: None to declare.

Pierre Petelle

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) Yes

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: As President and CEO of CropLife Canada, the member is regularly required to make public statements representing the views of the regulated pesticide industry on the priorities and direction of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. As part of CropLife’s mandate and role to advocate for science-based, efficient regulatory approaches at the federal and provincial levels, the organization regularly provides input to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency on various consultation documents to provide industry’s views.

Mathieu Valcke

1 No

2 (a) No

2 (b) No

2 (c) No

3 (a) Yes

3 (b) No

3 (c) No

4 No

Comments: None to declare.

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