Ag-gag legislation — the animals deserve better. Consumers deserve better. Workers deserve better. Call Ontario Premier Doug Ford and let him know you think Ontario’s agricultural industry should be transparent and accountable. The public should not be kept in the dark about what happens on farms.
If you live in Ontario, let the Premier know that, as a voter, this is an important issue to you.
If you do not live in Ontario, you can express your disappointment that the province is not setting a better example for the rest of the country.
Premier Doug Ford can be reached at 416-325-1941.
You can use our Talking Points or simply speak your mind:
- The true purpose of this new law is to win the political favour, votes and support of farmers, slaughterhouse operators and animal-food processors. This is done by helping them cover up animal cruelty and the province’s failure to enforce animal protection laws.
- The true purpose of this new law is to control or punish animal activists who are whistleblowing and protesting.
- The true purpose of this new law is to stop people seeing the current horrific animal cruelty videos and pictures that advocates have been capturing inside Canada’s farms and slaughterhouses.
- The meat and dairy industries fight to keep consumers blind to the grotesque, intense cruelty they inflict on animals, and Premier Ford is helping them keep the animals’ suffering secret.
The Issue
The Doug Ford government pushed through their “Ag-Gag” legislation, the Ontario Bill 156, with as little discussion as possible. They did this during the early months of the pandemic, while citizens were distracted with other matters. The law is now known as the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act.
Ag-Gag laws are contrary to free speech. They criminalize the respected practice of under-cover investigation. Under-cover investigations are necessary to expose abuses. This is especially true for businesses where those who are vulnerable (human and non-human) are hidden from public view. Advocates and journalists alike have conducted these kinds of investigations. Ag-Gag laws focus specifically on the agricultural sector and only protect the owners of animal-using businesses. They do not protect the general public, farm workers or farmed animals. In fact, human workers and farmed animals are at greater risk when whistle-blowers are subject to harsh laws and penalties.
It’s important to contact elected representatives to voice our opposition to this legislation. We must do this so that our voices become part of the permanent public record.
