If Canadian companies want to sell products to the E.U., they have to prove those products conform with E.U. product safety, health and environmental rules. This involves extra bureaucracy, controls and paperwork. If the U.K. had a Canada-style deal with the E.U., U.K. companies would have to do the same.

In this quote, Gina Miller discusses the regulatory challenges faced by companies when trading with the European Union (E.U.), particularly highlighting the example of Canadian companies. She explains that in order to sell products in the E.U., these companies must demonstrate that their products meet strict product safety, health, and environmental standards set by the E.U. This process involves additional bureaucracy, controls, and paperwork that companies must navigate, a reality that becomes even more significant after Brexit.

Miller uses the Canada-style deal as a point of comparison for the U.K.'s potential future relationship with the E.U. In such an agreement, British companies would be required to comply with the same stringent regulations as Canadian companies if they wished to access the single market. While this kind of deal would allow trade, it would also create substantial barriers in terms of administrative overhead and regulatory compliance, limiting the freedom that existed before the U.K.'s exit from the E.U.

The origin of this quote lies in Gina Miller's activism and her vocal opposition to Brexit. As a campaigner, she has often pointed out the potential economic drawbacks and bureaucratic complexities resulting from the U.K.’s departure from the E.U. Her criticism focuses on the trade barriers that would emerge from any post-Brexit deal, especially ones that do not grant the U.K. the same unrestricted access to the European market it had as a member of the E.U.

Ultimately, Miller’s statement highlights the trade-off between maintaining access to the E.U. single market and the regulatory burdens that would accompany such access. She underscores the idea that while a Canada-style deal might preserve trade relations, it comes at the cost of added complexity and compliance, which could place a significant strain on U.K. businesses and hinder their ability to operate smoothly in the European market.