A Saskatchewan farmer who toured his province with veterinary scientists is sounding the alarm over a Liberal private member’s bill with sweeping implications for livestock producers..John Graff, spokesman for Living Streams Institute, a Saskatchewan-based think tank and educational outreach group, toured the province at speaking events from June 25 to 28. On June 25, he warned an audience at the Heritage Inn in Moose Jaw that Bill C-293, an act respecting pandemic prevention and preparedness, posed a threat to their industry..The legislation, introduced by Liberal MP Nathan Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, Ont.) calls for the minister of agriculture and agrifood, the minister of industry, and provincial governments to “provide for measures to…reduce the risks posed by antimicrobial resistance.”.In May, Meat & Livestock Australia announced a project to produce and test mRNA vaccines. The premise is to have them ready for mass production should lumpy skin disease or other conditions break out. Graff is wary of Canada taking the same approach..Two University of Guelph professors, one a veterinary immunogenecist, and another a nutritional geneticist, presented research on how nutriceuticals could mitigate disease risk. Graff, a sheep farmer from Whitewood, said he preferred that approach. However, he was concerned that government and mRNA vaccine producers would push mRNA vaccines instead..“What the government will do is set up the parameters that require a response from industry,” he explained..“Will the government mandate vaccinating our animals? Probably the government will not. But your marketing board or your auction market or that type of thing will….“The industry people… if they play ball, they can get to the big dinners and they can go play golf and they can go to the Bahamas where all these meetings are. If they don't play ball, they don't get invited to those meetings. That's how the game is played.”.The pandemic prevention and mitigation bill called for the federal agriculture and industry ministers to work with provinces to “regulate…industrial animal agriculture”, “promote…alternative proteins” (such as bugs or lab-produced meat), and “phase out commercial activities that disproportionately contribute to pandemic risk, including activities that involve high-risk species.”.The bill also calls for the environment minister to produce a plan “to reduce the risk that the commercial wildlife trade in Canada and abroad will lead to a pandemic, including measures to regulate or phase out live animal markets.”.Graff told his audience, “It may just mean live sale of deer and elk and bison. It might be the live sale of fish, it might mean the live sale of catttle at the local auction market. We don't know.”.Other provisions of C-293 call for the minister of the environment, currently Steven Guilbeault, to consult with provincial ministers for land use changes..The bill claims that “disturbed habitats…could contribute to pandemic risk, such as deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats and urbanization.” To this end, the bill calls for measures to protect “global biodiversity and to halt and reverse global deforestation,” all to apparently prevent disease..Erskine-Smith, a Greater Toronto Area MP, tabled C-293 on June 17, 2022. It passed second reading on February 8, 2023 and is currently being examined by the Standing Committee on Health. The MP also introduced C-247 to end commercial fur farming in Canada, but it has made no progress since being tabled Feb 8, 2022..Graff told the audience that the agendas at play might not be stopped, but they can be slowed down. He called for people to oppose the legislation in conversations with government, industry, and everyday people, while preparing for contingencies should it pass..“Your neighboirs, friends and family, you can tell them this is not a conspiracy theory. This bill was talking about phasing out our livestock.”
