Written questions about Bill 156


Written questions by Member of Parliament Esther Ouwehand to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and the Minister of Foreign Affairs about Bill 156, Canadian legislation that criminalizes exposing malpractices in the animal industry, and about the death of animal rights activist Regan Russell.

  1. Can you confirm that in the past few years a large number of instances of abuse in the animal industry have been brought to light in the Canadian province of Ontario, amongst which throwing chicks to their deaths, hitting and kicking pigs until they die, kicking turkeys to death, and slowly letting abandoned mink with large wounds die in their cages?
  2. What is your opinion on practices such as these?
  3. Can you confirm that these practices were only brought to light thanks to whistleblowers, animal rights activists and investigative journalists, and that without these whistleblowers, activists and journalists this would never have come out?
  4. Can you confirm that the Canadian province of Ontario, in response to this, has passed Bill 156, a new law that all but makes it impossible for whistleblowers, activists and journalists to reveal these practices and that criminalizes exposing these practices?
  5. Can you confirm that this law also restricts the right to demonstrate at slaughterhouses in Ontario?
  6. Can you confirm that various Canadian journalist associations and civil rights organisations have voiced their opposition to this law, as it is in violation of basic civil liberties, such as the right to free speech?
  7. Can you confirm that various Canadian journalist associations and civil rights organisations have voiced their opposition to this law, as it is in violation of basic civil liberties, such as the right to free speech?
  8. Do you hold the opinion that people around the world have a right to know where their food comes from, and specifically where animal products come from?
  9. Do you think that this law can be reconciled with basic rights and values, such as the right to free speech, the right to demonstrate, transparency about the origins of food and freedom of the press?
  10. Do you find it befitting of modern leadership that when malpractices come to light, a government pursues not those malpractices, but the messenger?
  11. Can you confirm that Canadian animal rights activist Regan Russell of the Save Movement was killed by being run over by a truck carrying pigs while peacefully demonstrating in front of a slaughterhouse a few days after Bill 156 was passed?
  12. Can you confirm that the Canadian police have started an investigation into the death of Regan Russell?
  13. Can you understand that many Canadian animal rights activists consider Regan Russell’s death a consequence of the increasingly aggressive treatment of animal rights activists by both the Canadian government as well as Canadian representatives of the animal industry?
  14. Do you think that peaceful activists, anywhere in the world, deserve the protection of their government and that a government that fails to do this should be addressed on that matter?
  15. Are you prepared and willing to keep an eye on the progress of the investigation into Regan Russell’s death with the Canadian ambassador?
  16. Are you prepared and willing to discuss the way in which animal rights activists in Canada are treated and endangered with your Canadian counterparts and the Canadian ambassador?
  17. Can you confirm that Canada has substantially watered down its own bill to limit the transport time of live animals in 2016 when compared to the original bill of 2013 after Canada and the European Commission signed CETA in 2014? If you cannot, can you explain the situation?
  18. Can you confirm that whether or not the already rather unambitious proposed date on which the group housing of sows becomes obligatory in Canada (1 July 2024) will be met is uncertain to such a degree that you cannot comment on whether this date will be met or not? If you cannot, can you explain the situation?
  19. Can you confirm that Canada lobbied for lowering the European standards for the admittance of beef and pork in the CETA-SPS committee? If you cannot, can you explain the situation?
  20. Can you remember that in a broadcast of Buitenhof in November 2019, you stated that you will join forces with Canada when it comes to animal welfare, and that if that joint approach does not work with Canada, it will not work with any other nation? (Buitenhof: a political Dutch interview television programme) Can you remember stating that CETA will lead to a race to the top, amongst others in the field of animal welfare? Do you think that Canada, as a friendly nation, has put your trust to shame?
  21. Do you acknowledge that Canada, by restricting the rights of journalists and whistleblowers to address malpractices in the animal industry, by criminalizing journalists and whistleblowers, by restricting animal rights advocates’ right to demonstrate, by trying to hide whatever happens in the Canadian animal industry at all cost, by watering down its own legislation about reducing transport times, by failing to take its own legislation on the group housing of sows seriously, and by continuing to keep lobbying for the reduction of European standards for beef and pork since signing CETA in 2014, has in no way started a race to the top when it comes to the animal industry, but rather a race in the other direction?