Bill C15B should interest livestock producers

Letter to the Editor:
A Bill now being debated before the House of Commons in Ottawa should be of serious concern to all livestock producers, hunters, anglers, trappers, and anyone who has in the past or will in the future benefit from modern medicine.
The Bill is Bill C15B, the Federal Government’s attempt to modernize the Canadian law against cruelty to animals. We all agree with the stated intent of increasing penalties against those who are deliberately cruel to animals. However, the way the Bill is written will leave those who are involved in the legal use of animals (ranchers, farmers, hunters, medical researchers, etc.) vulnerable to nuisance lawsuits. Indeed, animal rights groups are on record as saying they will push the new law to its limits in pursuit of their agenda of seeing animals treated equal with humans.
As it’s currently written, groups or individuals that want no use of animals whatsoever will be able to initiate charges against a rancher, farmer, hunter, angler, etc. While it’s true that the charge would only proceed to court with the approval of an Attorney General, the person charged would incur the expense of having to hire a lawyer to prove why the charge should not proceed.
I urge you to contact your Member of Parliament and let him or her know that you’re concerned about this potential new law. Let the decision-makers in Ottawa know that sensible people are opposed to cruelty to animals, but we’re also opposed to harassment of law-abiding citizens. Let your Member of Parliament know that you want changes made to Bill C15B to protect the interests of law-abiding ranchers, farmers, hunters, anglers, trappers and medical researchers.
Sincerely,
Bill Stewart
Co-Chair, CCA Environment Committee
Hairy Hill, Alberta
Mike Buis
Co-Chair, CCA Environment Committee
Chatham, Ontario