|
Rabbit Advocacy Animal Matters
|
|
Animal cruelty bill runs into Commons buzz saw, government indifference May 11, 2016 Thomas Walkom, The Star (Toronto) In Fort McMurray, ordinary people risked their lives to save pets trapped in fire-threatened homes. In one case, rescuers evaded both the flames and police roadblocks to save the 14-year-old dog of a couple they didn’t know. As the Star reported, owners Anna and Tony Middleton viewed their dog, Abby, as a member of the family. That’s one way we see animals. Meanwhile in Ottawa Monday, the other way we see animals was in evidence. That’s when a Liberal backbencher’s effort to toughen up animal cruelty laws ran into a Parliamentary buzz saw. Toronto MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith’s private member’s Bill C-246 is pretty mild stuff. Among other things, it would criminalize the “brutal and vicious” killing of animals without lawful excuse. Yet to some MPs it is the thin edge of a very large wedge. Manitoba Conservative Robert Sopuck called Bill C-246 a Trojan horse designed to advance the agenda of animal rights extremists. He said that, if passed, the bill could penalize someone who cooked a lobster by boiling it alive. Alberta Conservative Blaine Calkins mused that the bill might allow animal rights advocates to bring charges against those who don’t properly groom their pets. Former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now a Toronto Liberal MP, fretted that by criminalizing the brutal or vicious killing of animals, the bill could threaten what he called heritage activities. Blair said it was premature to talk of amending animal cruelty laws in isolation and that any change should wait until a full overhaul of the entire criminal code takes place. Since he is parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, his remarks presumably reflect the position of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. The comments of Blair and his two Conservative colleagues also give a flavour of the other way in which Canadians see animals – as resources, like rocks or trees, which exist only to satisfy human wants. Under this view, any attempt to upgrade the status of non-humans puts into jeopardy the entire animal-use industry – ranging from livestock farming to medical research to hunting. The woeful inadequacies of Canada’s animal cruelty laws are well-known. Erskine-Smith raised the case of one man who killed his dog with a baseball bat but was acquitted because the judge ruled the death was quick. In 2002, a man who skinned a cat alive and videotaped the deed received a slap on the wrist, in part because the animal was a stray and therefore no human’s property. But whenever politicians attempt to strengthen the law to deal with such cases, they run into the same lobby groups making the same arguments. A Liberal government effort that began in 1999 and eventually passed the Commons was bogged down for years in the Senate. Anglers said they would be no longer allowed to bait their hooks with live worms if the bill passed. Fairground owners said it would put alligator wrestling at risk. Some indigenous people said toughened animal cruelty laws would interfere with their traditional way of life. So when Erskine-Smith put his effort together, he tried to take all of this history into account. Bill C-246 already exempts activities involving aboriginal rights. Erskine-Smith said he’d be willing to amend the bill to exempt other legal activities, such as hunting and fishing. In an effort to touch on issues with popular appeal, Bill C-246 would also ban the import of shark fins from countries that don’t follow Canadian standards. It would criminalize all aspects of animal fighting. It would ban the import of cat and dog fur. And it would toughen up the law against bestiality. “These changes are targeted at animal abuse not animal use,” Erskine-Smith told the Commons. Still, the animal-use industry remains suspicious. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has served notice that it will oppose the bill. It is already lobbying Liberal MPs. At the best of times, private members bills have a hard time getting through Parliament. If Blair’s comments are any indication, the Liberal government has no interest in taking on this politically fraught issue. So Erskine-Smith can’t expect much help from that quarter. That leaves the rest of us. Many Canadians like nothing better than a heart-warming animal story. But are we willing to improve animal welfare by telling our MPs to bolster their status in law? Comment: We wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould urging them personally, and the Liberal Party, to support Bill C-246. There has been legislative inertia by politicians when it comes to implementing modern, new laws to protect all animals. Government has a moral and ethical duty to act. Go here to contact your MP and tell them to support Bill C-246. Animal Justice Canada Legislative Fund is working to enshrine meaningful animal rights into Canadian law, including the right of animals to have their interests represented in court, and the guarantee of rights and freedoms that make life worth living. Please sign and share the Animal Charter of Rights and Freedoms to show elected officials that Canadians expect better for all animals. Read more: Who's protecting our animals? Summer 2011 (Rabbit Advocacy's PSA.) Go to our News page to read more. Taking action to make a difference |