BILL 50: PROVINCIAL ANIMAL WELFARE ACT, 2008
	BILL 50: FLAWED

Let's work together in asking the Provincial Government to rethink and withdraw section 6 of Bill 50

The NDP's Cheri DiNovo:



	Cheri DiNovo, NDP MPP Parkdale-High Park

Cheri DiNovo: "Certainly, I rise to support any step forward. We in the New Democratic Party support animal rights and any step forward, and this is a step forward we would support."

"However, there are problems with this bill. I would support the member from Whitby-Oshawa when she says this needs fulsome debate and it needs fulsome committee time-in particular, section 6. I've received a number of e-mails, as I'm sure other members of this House have, about the inadequacies of section 6. There's a letter that has gone from the president of the Toronto Humane Society to Mr. Bartolucci on exactly that. He says, "We write to ask you to remove section 6 from Bill 50. Section 6 provides that community-built shelters that either don't want to be affiliates of the Ontario SPCA, or shelters that the Ontario SPCA itself does not want as affiliates, will be stripped automatically of their names by this Legislature." That means that a venerable institution of over 100 years like the Toronto Humane Society would not be able to use the word "humane" anymore, as well as 235 other charities that look after and protect our animals. I don't understand why this section is even in this bill. What is the purpose of it? It needs to be stricken from the bill, and I'd like the committee to look at that."

"Some other concerns: There's nothing in the bill for lost animals experimented on in laboratories. There's nothing for animals and birds in the wild. There's nothing for millions and millions of farm animals and birds-and this is not to deter farmers, but we do remember the instance where something like 20 horses were starved to death. This bill would not cover them. Nothing for any other animals that cabinet may decide to exclude in the future. So clearly, this bill needs some tightening up, and clearly, section 6 needs to be omitted from the bill."

"We would like to see fulsome consultation with all of those stakeholders, whose concerns are equally valid to OSPCA's, and certainly to have this government take another look at the fine-tuning of this bill." - Hansard, May 5, 2008

Please write your MPP and ask that section 6 from Bill 50 be removed

DATELINE: Queen's Park, Wednesday May 07, 2008



	Garfiled Dunlop PC Justice Critic Simcoe North

Progressive Conservative Justice Critic Garfield Dunlop:

Question Period:

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: "My question today is to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. As you know, Minister, many Ontarians feel that Bill 50 is badly flawed. Stakeholders are inundating our offices, concerned about flaws in this bill, and they are worried about potential flawed regulations."

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Mr. Garfield Dunlop: "Another major flaw in this Bill is the inclusion of section 6. Humane societies across Ontario believe that, if enacted, section 6 will strip them of their names. As the Toronto Humane Society says-and that's an institution that's over 120 years old-"It's like losing your name; it's like losing your identity." Minister, will you stand today in this House and commit to either removing or making major amendments to section 6 of Bill 50?" - Hansard, May 7, 2008

Please write your MPP and ask that section 6 from Bill 50 be removed

DATELINE: Queen's Park, Tuesday May 06, 2008

NDP Justice Critic Peter Kormos



	Peter Kormos NDP Justice Critic Welland

Debate heated up again on May 6, 2008, for the second day in a row as MPPs tried unsuccessfully to persuade Minister Bartolucci to remove section 6 from Bill 50. The inflammatory section would have the Legislature strip words “humane society” from the names of community shelters across the Province.

During debate, NDP Justice Critic Peter Kormos asked:
“Why would this Government want to effectively shut down The Toronto Humane Society with its century-plus history of looking out for the welfare of animals?”

"New Democrats, I’m sure along with our Conservative counterparts in the opposition, are going to make sure this Bill goes to committee. We will not let it go to third reading until it has had committee hearings."

"New Democrats are being very clear that will not support section 6. We stand with Tim Trow, The Toronto Humane Society, and other humane societies that are not associated with OSPCA, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals." - Hansard, May 6, 2008

Please write your MPP and ask that section 6 from Bill 50 be removed

DATELINE: Queen's Park, Monday May 05, 2008

Debate in the legislature on Bill 50

Despite the fire and ire hurled at section 6 of Bill 50 in the Legislative Assembly today, the Government stubbornly held firm in pushing for the inclusion of inflammatory section 6 in Bill 50.

Section 6, if enacted will strip humane societies of their names and identities if they aren’t members of the Ontario SPCA.

Ironically, the author of the Bill, Minister Rick Bartolucci, left the Chamber for the debate.

During Monday morning’s proceedings, one by one, members of the NDP and Tory caucuses spoke in favour of better protecting Ontario’s animals, but also expressed outrage that section 6 was snuck into legislation the Government had lauded as a Bill against poorly run roadside zoos.

The upshot: The Liberals won’t budge, but Bill 50 will go to committee and organizations that had previously been excluded from Minister Bartolucci’s “consultations” now have a chance to be heard.

Now, more than ever, we must speak for the animals that cannot speak for themselves.

Section 6 will strip humane societies of their names, preventing them from using the generic (yet forcefully descriptive) words “humane” and “society” in their titles.

Now that we know the Bill is going to Committee, its time for organizations across the Province to prepare material to submit to the hearings.

In the meantime, without delay please let your MPP know you want section 6 reviewed from Bill 50

Please write your MPP and ask that section 6 from Bill 50 be removed