Please everyone this is URGENT. Read below and do what must be done to stop the passing of the Senate -bill S-213. Send to all your contacts.
Posted by Barbara SilvermanSubject: Animal cruelty bill - we need your help now!
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:25:24 -0800
The Senate is trying to push their bill through before we have a
chance to present the Queen Waldorf petition - over 11,000 names so far - and lobby for the introduction of Bill C-373 by Mark Holland, MP for Ajax/Pickering. Go to
http://www.queenwaldorf.com for
more info. on differences between these two bills.
And please add your voice to protest the pasage of the Senate bill -
S213.
You should send a copy to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson (he is also
the MP for Niagara Falls). There are a lot of people in the Niagara Region who signed the peitition and came to the rally at the courthouse.
The Justice Committee has scheduled witnesses to appear on January 31st and Feb 5th. We had not expected the committee to get to S-203 this quickly.
There is no mention of these meetings on the parliamentary website, so it seems rather secretive that they're trying to push this through so quickly.
So far on Jan 31st there will the Cdn Veterinary Medical Association and the Cdn Cattlemen's Assoc. The CVMA is very much on our side opposing 203 and the CCA will be supporting 203.
On Feb 5th,CFHS will be appearing, along with the Ont Fed of Anglers & Hunters, the Assembly of First Nations and the Cdn Professional Rodeo Assoc.
Obviously, all the others will be supporting 203.
Right now, I'm trying to get people to write to the members of the
Justice Committee, so would you be able to put this message out to all your contacts:
The House of Commons Justice Committee will be considering Bill
S-203 on January 31st and February 5th. We are asking you please to write to the Committee expressing your opposition to Bill S-203. Please send your message to the Chair of the Committee and to the Committee Clerk, asking that it be circulated to all members of the committee. We need you to do this ASAP, ideally by January 30th.
Here's the contact information:
The Honourable Art Hanger
Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
by fax to 613-947-4490 AND by email to Hanger.A@parl.gc.ca
Miriam Burke
Clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
By fax to 613-996-1962 AND by email to: Just@parl.gc.ca
Here's a sample message you can use if you like:
As you debate Bill S-203, please keep in mind that the majority of
Canadians strongly oppose this bill. It makes no changes to the
archaic and inadequate offences that exist today. It is not good enough to just increase the penalties. The current offences contain gaping loopholes that prevent certain animal abusers from being prosecuted.
For example, the
term 'wilful neglect' is an oxymoron that requires proof that a person
intended to neglect their animals. It considers animals as property
and offers less protection for stray and wild animals. This is
unacceptable.
Animals need better protection from cruelty and abuse and S-203 is not the answer.
Please, listen to Canadians and stop passage of Bill S-203. We
need good, effective legislation. If this bill passes now it could take
many years for another bill to be introduced to fix the problems. Surely
it doesn't make sense to enact 1892 offences in 2008. We urge you in the strongest possible way to get it right now.
[Photo from Snapfish.com[/i]