Private Members' Bill blames pandemics on animal agriculture says Ag Critic

Alberta MP and Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow has been receiving a number of emails from Canadians who are concerned about Private Members' Bill C-293, which now sits before the Senate.

He says while the primary objective of the bill is pandemic prevention and preparedness, it contains content and language that will adversely affect Canadian farmers and ranchers.

Bill C-293 is a Private Member’s Bill and which was first introduced in the House in June 2022 by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. It has survived votes by the majority of MPs, passed through the House of Commons and now sits in the Senate.

Barlow says the bill targets Canadian farmers and ranchers and alludes to language which intends to phase out the animal agriculture sector.

"It's clearly not based on actual science and data. This is an ideological activist piece of legislation that should never have gotten out of the House of Commons," he commented. "It is a ridiculous bill that shouldn't have gotten this far but unfortunately has and it clearly in the bill blames pandemics on animal agriculture for spreading viruses which we know is completely not true. It really leans on the fact that to save the world, we need to get rid of animal agriculture and I can't think of anything more out of line and certainly more ridiculous than that comment."

Barlow adds the bill’s language around livestock farming, the promotion of alternative proteins, and the focus on animal agriculture in the context of antimicrobial resistance raises serious fear over granting the government authority to shut down industry, or phase it out altogether.

"It opens the door even further for the activists who have access to a government like they've never had before, as they have with this Liberal government, and we have seen that with policies that have been brought forward. This would just further embolden activists whose endgame is not to improve animal healthcare, it's not to improve biosecurity, it's not to improve animal husbandry, it is to end animal agriculture period. Anytime that you give them another step forward or appease their demands, they're going to keep pushing."

Barlow says the Canadian animal agriculture sector closely monitors animal health and operates under a high level of biosecurity and protections, which should be celebrated.