Ministry of Agriculture and Food

1   (1) There is to be a ministry of the public service of British Columbia called the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

(2) The minister is to preside over the ministry and is responsible to the Lieutenant Governor in Council for the direction of the ministry.

Deputy minister

2   A deputy minister may be appointed under the Public Service Act.

Appointment of inspectors

3   (1) The minister may, in writing, appoint persons or classes of persons to be inspectors for the purposes of one or more enactments under the minister's administration.

(2) A person appointed under this section need not be a public officer.

Purposes and functions of the ministry

4   The purposes and functions of the ministry, under the direction of the minister, include matters relating to the following:

(a) the production, marketing, processing and merchandising of agricultural products and food;

(b) the institution and carrying out of advisory, research, promotional or education extension programs, projects or undertakings relating to agriculture and food;

(c) the collection of information and preparation of statistics relating to agriculture and food and the dissemination of these statistics as the minister considers advisable.

Powers of minister

5   (1) For purposes relating to agriculture and food, the minister may acquire, administer, dispose of, operate on and make improvements to land.

(2) The minister may do the following:

(a) acquire, administer, operate, make improvements to and dispose of agricultural facilities and equipment;

(b) lease stores, elevators, processing plants and product warehouses from other persons;

(c) buy, store, transport and dispose of products.

Collection of information

6   (1) Subject to the conditions the minister may prescribe, the minister may empower a person or class of persons to collect information about the production, marketing, processing and merchandising of agricultural products and food.

(2) A person who receives a written request for information from a person empowered to collect information under this section must promptly supply to the best of the person's knowledge the information requested.

(3) A person who receives information under this section must not, without the prior consent of the person or organization to which the information refers, knowingly disclose the information or cause it to be disclosed in a manner that enables a person not empowered to collect information under this section to identify the person or organization to which the information refers.

(4) A person who contravenes subsection (2) commits an offence and is liable to a penalty of not more than $500.

(5) A person who contravenes subsection (3) commits an offence and is liable to a penalty of not more than $1 000.

(6) For the purposes of this section, the minister may make regulations.

Minister may publish prescribed information or documents

6.1   Without limiting any other power the minister may have to disclose information, the minister may, in accordance with the regulations, publish online or by other means any prescribed information or documents or any prescribed classes of information or documents relating to the administration of a prescribed enactment for which the minister is responsible, other than personal information that, if disclosed, would constitute an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy as described in section 22 (2) to (4) [disclosure harmful to personal privacy] of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Agreements with other governments

7   The minister may enter into agreements on behalf of the government with the government of Canada, the government of a province or an agent of the government of Canada or a province.

Repealed

8   [Repealed 2000-23-41.]

Fees for provincial laboratory services

9   (1) The minister may by order designate a laboratory as a provincial laboratory for the purposes of this section.

(2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations respecting fees that may be charged by provincial laboratories for services performed on the request of a person, other than a public officer acting in the course of the public officer's duties under an enactment, including fees for

(a) diagnostic services,

(b) post-mortem services,

(c) services performed for the purpose of gathering evidence for a legal proceeding,

(d) providing analytical or interpretive reports, and

(e) services related to a matter described in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d).

Lieutenant Governor in Council regulations in respect of publishing information and documents

10   The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:

(a) prescribing information or documents or classes of information or documents that may be published under section 6.1;

(b) respecting the publication of information or documents or classes of information or documents under section 6.1, including prescribing the criteria to be applied in determining whether to publish information or documents or classes of information or documents and the manner of publication;

(c) prescribing enactments for the purposes of section 6.1.