Urge the Canadian government to stop Bill C-275

A dangerous agricultural gag or “ag-gag” bill is currently making its way through Parliament. If it passes, it will make it extremely difficult for whistleblowers—including employees, journalists and members of the public—to expose cruelty to animals on farms.

Private Member’s Bill C-275 was introduced by the official opposition. It is a proposed ag-gag law that seeks to reduce the public’s access to information about what happens in our food system. It intends to shelter an industry that is already well-hidden from the public’s view, at a time when we need transparency from industrial farming operations more than ever before—for animals, as well as for the environment, for public health and for farm workers.

Ag-gag laws are a severe threat to animal welfare and to protected Canadian rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression, and they have no place in a democratic society.

Join us in calling on federal decision-makers to scrap Bill C-275!

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Dear Senator,

I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding Private Member’s Bill C-275, which was introduced by Conservative Member of Parliament John Barlow and is classified as an agricultural gag or “ag-gag” law. For the reasons outlined below, I am urging you to halt this bill’s progress and ensure that it does not become law. 
 
First, this is an anti-whistleblower bill that will severely jeopardize animal welfare, which is already a major issue in Canada, as well as environmental protection, food safety and workers’ rights. The animal agriculture industry already operates in a high degree of secrecy, with Canadians being unable to easily see how animals are raised and killed for food. Undercover exposes are usually the only way in which instances of animal cruelty can be documented and exposed, yet this bill would heavily penalize whistleblowers for speaking out. It curtails the fundamental right to free expression, which is unacceptable in a democratic society like ours.
 
Second, Bill C-275 contains deeply problematic language. For example, it criminalizes anyone who takes “in any animal or thing," which seemingly intends to prevent farm workers from taking a camera into their workplace, thus preventing whistleblowing activities. It is also very broad and speculative, using words such as “could result” in animals being exposed to a disease or toxic substance that “is capable of affecting or contaminating them”. 
 
Third, it duplicates provincial laws regarding trespass, which already exist and are enforced when needed. Bill C-275 is therefore redundant to existing provincial anti-trespassing laws and could be challenged as unconstitutional, as some legal scholars believe that it infringes upon provincial jurisdiction.
 
Fourth, it unfairly shifts the focus of biosecurity issues to people like animal advocates, rather than putting the onus where it belongs: on farm and slaughterhouse owners and occupiers. Research shows that all reportable biosecurity issues since 2000 have been the result of poor biosecurity standards or adherence levels among employees and operators. If the federal government truly wants to address biosecurity issues, it should establish legal standards for on-farm operations and the treatment of farm animals, and adequately enforce those standards through on-farm inspections and surveillance. If Bill C-275 advances through the legislative process, it must be amended to apply to anyone who could expose animals to a disease or toxic substance.
 
Finally, Bill C-275 seeks to give special protection to one already underregulated industry. The federal government only regulates animal welfare during transport and slaughter, after animals leave the farm. If the federal government is going to begin regulating what happens on farms, there should be more laws to protect animals and to increase transparency, not laws that would reduce the ability of the public to access information about our food supply. Moreover, decision-makers should consider what will happen if other industries, like the health-care sector and oil and gas sectors, decide to take similar steps to limit whistleblowing.
 
Please vote against Bill C-275 when it is time for a final vote in the House of Commons.
 
Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~Province} {user_data~Postal Code}

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