Law silences whistleblowers
By many accounts, Ontario is not Alberta. We are all Canadian, but culturally, economically, even perhaps ethically, Ontario is not Alberta. And yet, it appears the eastern province is attempting to copy its western brother (and a few southern cousins) in a move that animal advocates are calling unconstitutional, unethical and dangerous to both animals and consumers.
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, introduced Monday, hopes to stop animal advocates from exposing abuse and neglect on farms, transport trucks and in slaughterhouses by threatening massive fines of up to $15,000 and $25,000 for subsequent offences.
“Ontario’s attempt to cover up animal cruelty is absolutely chilling,” says animal rights lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice, Camille Labchuk, “and it should be disturbing to us all.”
Indeed, Ontario is not Alberta, and this bill does not belong here.
Last week, the Alberta government passed Bill 27, the Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act, which ups fines for individuals trespassing on farms to $10,000 for individuals and $200,000 for organizations.
The creation of the bill followed a string of actions across the country over the last year involving non-violent activists entering farms and livestreaming conditions for all to see. Much of what was documented was upsetting — rows upon rows of calves alone in snow-covered hutches, turkeys living in filth, pigs crammed into gestation crates — but mainly accepted practice. And that is the point of the actions: to expose both standard and egregious cruelties commonplace in animal agriculture and so often hidden from public view.
Transparency in animal farming is an ongoing issue, as meat, dairy and egg marketers attempt to sway consumers with imagery of open fields, red barns and happy animals and with terms like “free run,” “family owned” and “organic.”
Without evidence collected by peaceful activists standing outside transport trucks, entering farms and working undercover in slaughterhouses, the public would never come to know the true cruelties inherent in Canadian animal agriculture.
Consumers deserve to know that the treatment of animals on farms in Canada is not overseen by any government, but rather self-regulated by the industry.
Consumers deserve to know that Canada has the worst animal transport laws in the western world, allowing animals to travel in open-sided trucks without climate control for up to 36 hours, regardless of the weather.
Consumers deserve to know about standard practices, such as separating newborn calves from their mothers, keeping birds in massive feces-filled sheds and pigs in tiny cages.
It’s only thanks to activists, streaming online in real time, collecting videos, images and firsthand experiences, that this information ever becomes public.
But instead of focusing on these concerning farming practices, the government of Ontario wants to protect them, keep them shrouded in secrecy, so business can carry on as usual.
“Instead of addressing the cruelty crisis on farms, the government is misusing the justice system to conceal animal abuse in a way that may well violate the charter,” Labchuk says.
And in addition to threatening greater fines for trespassers, the new Ontario bill would also make it an offence to enter a property under false pretenses. This could include anyone gaining employment for the purpose of investigating and/or whistleblowing — meaning not only activists, but also journalists.
Similar AgGag laws have been struck down as unconstitutional in some U.S. states. Regarding Bill 27 in Alberta, Labchuk says Animal Justice is currently considering options to challenge any unconstitutional provisions in court. In Ontario, they are working to have the proposed legislation struck down before it is passed.
“And we’ll be encouraging the public to contact MPP’s and ask for regulations to protect animals on farms, not to further hide animal cruelty from public view.”
A trend toward silencing those who give voice to the vulnerable and voiceless is not something that should be encouraged in Canada. Ontario has the opportunity to stop what Alberta has neglectfully started. That opportunity should be seized, now.