The proposal follows years of criticism that Canada’s pesticide regulator is too cozy with pesticide producers. As far back as 2000, the parliamentary committee on the environment’s inaugural report slammed the agency for being “captive of the pesticide industry.”

The trend has continued, for instance with an investigation last year by_Canada’s National Observer_ finding the agency is predisposed to working with producers to keep pesticides in use, despite evidence the chemicals are causing harm.