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Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel drew blanks after refusing to take questions from Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant. He attempted to ask her position on the government cull order of hundreds of healthy B.C. ostriches.

“I have a question regarding the ostrich farm,” Ezra began. “I noticed in your statement you mentioned Canada-U.S. cooperation, and I recall a letter from your U.S. counterpart, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He believes these ostriches, having recovered from avian flu and now immune, could be valuable for medical research. He's even offered to conduct and fund this research.”

“It seems strategically beneficial to foster allies within Trump's cabinet,: Ezra said. “Granting Secretary Kennedy's request to study these birds would be a minimal concession for Canada and could significantly aid us in future trade negotiations by having a friend in such a crucial position.” 

“Don't you agree this would be helpful?” Ezra asked. Minister Michel did not respond.

“Minister, you're not going to answer? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?” Ezra inquired. “Next question,” said Michel’s staffer.

“Minister, did I miss an answer?” Ezra inquired again. “I don't get it.”

“I guess this is question period, not answer period,” he concluded.

OSTRICH FARM GOOD NEWS:

The birds are likely to live through this week!

Below are the Application for Leave to Appeal cases expected to receive judgments this week in Supreme Court. Universal Ostrich Farms Inc. v. Canadian Food Inspection Agency is not among them.

I confirmed… pic.twitter.com/jGqSTpBpLK

— Drea Humphrey (@DreaHumphrey) October 14, 2025

The Supreme Court will decide in the coming weeks, whether the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) can kill hundreds of healthy, avian flu-recovered ostriches despite the agency's mission.

Universal Ostrich Farms is applying for leave to peruse an appeal of lower-court decisions that upheld the CFIA’s cull order on the flock. The farmers argue the order is inhumane, economically and scientifically unjustified, as the birds have been healthy and asymptomatic for over 270 days, and were previously farmed for antibody therapeutics research.

U.S. experts, unlike Ottawa, state ostriches are not chickens and should not be treated as such. The American Ostrich Association (AOA) formally requested the U.S. Department of Agriculture end blanket kill orders for ostriches.

Alongside the RCMP, the CFIA continue to occupy the property, controlling the farmers' and their neighbors' land in a costly standoff. Taxpayers await a decision that could take weeks, despite the ostriches likely being spared for at least another week.