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News Release
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October 30, 2006
For Immediate Release:
Holland launches campaign for animal cruelty bill
Liberal MP Mark Holland today kicked off a
campaign to reform Canada’s animal cruelty laws, and he hopes to
make it an all-party effort.
Holland today introduced as a private
member’s bill legislation identical to the former C-50, a bill
that died on the Order Paper when the January federal election
was called. That bill, with some changes, has been introduced in
every parliament since 1999.
"The failure to pass this legislation
previously is a national embarrassment," says Holland. "There
were mistakes made on all sides. The important thing now is that
we work together to correct this wrong. It’s not easy to work
cooperatively in today’s highly partisan minority government
environment, but I intend to give this my best effort."
Holland acknowledges that under the current
rules for private members’ bills, his bill has little chance on
its own. Instead he will be reaching out to the public and to
MPs and Senators of all parties in an effort to convince the
government to reintroduce it as a government bill.
An earlier version of the bill was passed
several times in the House of Commons in the spring of 2003, but
the bill died as a result of a deadlock with the Senate, which
insisted on several amendments that were not accepted by the
House. The current bill does include some of the Senate’s
amendments, and also addresses the issue of traditional
aboriginal hunting rights, which was a sticking point for the
Senate.
"This bill has had countless hours of
hearings and debates in both houses, and at various times it has
had the support of almost all major stakeholders," says Holland.
"Enormous efforts have been made to balance the need for
protection of animals from cruelty while recognizing the rights
of hunters, anglers, farmers and others who use animals in a
responsible manner in their livelihoods."
Major stakeholder groups reached an
agreement in support of the bill in the fall of 2004, notes
Holland. This agreement was shattered, he says, when a competing
bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator John G. Bryden.
That bill, now known as S-213, would bring in tougher penalties
for animal cruelty, but in most other respects it retains
Criminal Code provisions that have changed little since 1892.
"Senator Bryden’s bill is nothing but a
diversionary tactic on behalf of some who want to keep the
status quo," says Holland. "Animal welfare organizations oppose
it. I will fight it with every ounce of my strength. I call upon
MPs and Senators to stop Senator Bryden’s misguided bill dead in
its tracks."
Holland notes that the issue of animal
cruelty has come to the forefront recently with a shocking
incident in which Daisy Duke, a lab-border collie cross in
Didsbury, Alberta was tortured and had to be euthanized. Her
owner and a juvenile have been charged.
"The existing law and S-213 aren’t adequate
to deal with cases like this," says Holland. "We need to move
now to convince the government to make my bill a government bill
with the support of all parties."
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For further information:
Richard McGuire, Executive Assistant
Office of Mark Holland, M.P., Ajax-Pickering
(613) 995-8614
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