An elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, March, 2023. The Liberals pledged to ban elephants and great apes in zoos and circuses, and live horse exports for slaughter during the election campaign.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
MPs and animal-welfare groups fear the federal government has put on hold an election promise to bring forward bills designed to alleviate animal suffering, and that they are no longer a priority for Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The Liberals promised to bring forward two animal welfare bills if they won the election: One to ban the export of live horses overseas for slaughter, and a second to outlaw elephants and great apes in zoos and circuses. But neither bill has been introduced since Mr. Carney’s election win.
Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane World for Animals Canada, said animals suffering and dying “cannot wait for more delays or empty promises” and urged the government to bring forward the bills in the new year.
“For years, the federal government has pledged to close the gap between Canadians’ values and our outdated animal welfare laws. While some progress has been made, key commitments have stalled,” she said. “We urge the government to honour its promises by introducing legislation to protect animals in captivity and to end the live export of horses for slaughter – practices that cause needless suffering and death every year.”
The last Liberal government supported a private members bill introduced by a Liberal MP to ban the export of live horses for slaughter, ending a multimillion-dollar trade. But that failed to pass through its parliamentary stages before the election.
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The government also introduced a bill to ban apes and elephants in zoos and circuses. But it had been held up in the Senate by the Conservatives and failed to become law before the election.
Steven Guilbeault, as environment minister in the last parliament, brought forward a number of animal welfare measures, including banning cosmetic testing on animals and a trade ban in elephant and rhino ivory.
Mr. Guilbeault had indicated in October that the government would push forward with a new bill banning zoos and circuses from acquiring apes and elephants and breeding them, which gave hope to campaigners, including the advocacy group Animal Justice.
He resigned this week from cabinet over the government’s new energy pact with the province of Alberta, and the dismantling of several elements of the climate action plan he had worked on as environment minister.
Mr. Guilbeault is the second supporter of greater protections for animals to have left Mr. Carney’s cabinet in the past six months.
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, who was shuffled out of his role as housing minister in May by Mr. Carney, represented the Liberals during the federal election debate between the political parties on animal welfare. He said then the Liberals were committed to bringing forward the two animal welfare bills if they won.
Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of Legal Advocacy at Animal Justice said the bills were “two key Liberal Party promises made to Canadians.”
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Mr. Erskine-Smith, in a text message on Friday, did not say when he thought these bills would be introduced.
“These are commitments first made in our 2021 platform, and it’s past time we delivered,” he said.
Jennica Klassen, a spokesperson for the Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, did not comment on whether Mr. Carney’s government is planning to bring forward another bill banning live horse shipments.
“We take the issue of animal welfare very seriously,” said Ms. Klassen. “The CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] will continue to investigate any reports of unreported horse deaths and serious injuries in horse shipments and will ensure that regulated parties are complying with the humane transport regulations.”
The export of live horses to Japan – where they are flown in wooden crates for slaughter for a sashimi delicacy sold in high-end restaurants – has been the target of years of protest, including by the singer Jann Arden who has been pressing the government to ban the lucrative trade.
According to Statistics Canada, about 2,600 live horses were exported for slaughter in 2022 to Japan. The total value of the trade was about $19-million.
Last year, a Japanese animal-welfare organization obtained inspection records showing horses shipped to Japan from Canada were suffering and dying on flights.
Japan’s Life Investigation Agency obtained its government’s reports on shipments of horses from Canada, including pregnant mares, in crates. The records, acquired through Japan’s freedom of information laws, showed that some miscarried and died, and some horses had difficulty standing and fell in their crates during flight. Horses suffered injuries such as fractured legs – with some dying on board and later in quarantine.
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Some animal-welfare advocates fear that the protection of animals is not a priority for the Carney government, with trade taking clear precedence.
Colin Saravanamuttoo, executive director and Canada country director at World Animal Protection, said he was disappointed when the Liberals’ two animal welfare bills died in the last parliament, but anticipates they will be reintroduced.
“The current trade war and larger geopolitical situation have brought key issues to the fore with a sense of urgency,” he said in an e-mail. “However, issues like live horse exports and the captivity and use of great apes and elephants in entertainment remain an important priority.”
Keean Nembhard, spokesperson for Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, did not comment on whether a bill banning apes and elephants in zoos would be brought forward.
“As a global partner in conservation and a leader in responsible science, Canada will continue to carry forward the spirit of Jane Goodall’s work by supporting strong, science-based protections for animals and the ecosystems they depend on,” he said in an e-mail.