News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2004

(OTTAWA) - Despite last-minute pleas from the agriculture industry, this Parliamentary session seems set to end with Bill C-22 - changes to the Criminal Code of Canada concerning cruelty to animals - still not passed into law.

Bill C-22 is still in front of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. However, the Senate will not sit again before a federal election is likely called next week. This means the legislation, first introduced in 2001, will once again die on the order paper.

Canadian agriculture groups put in extensive work on this legislation, ensuring it would provide the maximum protection both for animals and for the Canadian livestock producers who work with them. Last week the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) sent a letter to Senator George Furey, Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, underlining agriculture industry support for the current draft of the Bill, and urging the Committee to submit the legislation for Third Reading as quickly as possible.

'It's very disappointing and frustrating to see all those years of work going to waste,' said Bob Friesen, CFA President. 'And it is unfair to responsible Canadian farmers who employ the highest standards of care with their animals, but are once again put in a position of uncertainty when it comes to accepted animal handling practices.'

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Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.