Kill the Vegan Bill: A major threat to Canadian agriculture, health, and freedom
As Bill C-293 quietly advances through the Senate, many warn that its vague language could lead to government overreach, threatening animal agriculture under the guise of public health and antimicrobial resistance, with far-reaching implications for the farming industry, food sovereignty and the overall health and well-being of Canadians.
Canadian farm groups and health-conscious citizens are raising alarms over Bill C-293, a private member's bill advancing quietly through the Senate. Introduced in 2022 by Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, an outspoken vegan advocate, the bill passed its third reading and is now one step away from becoming law.
Known as the Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act, the bill may appear focused on public health, but its vague language has far-reaching implications for Canada’s animal agriculture sector. The bill grants the federal health minister the power to appoint a “national pandemic prevention and preparedness coordinator” who would promote alternative proteins while placing undue blame on animal agriculture under the guise of antimicrobial resistance.
This bill’s language regulating “commercial activities that contribute to pandemic risk” and encouraging the phase-out of “high-risk species” paves the way for government overreach into multiple aspects of Canadians lives and the industries that serve them. Organizations such as the Canadian Cattle Association and the National Cattle Feeders Association have expressed concerns, arguing that the bill could harm the agricultural industry and unfairly target meat producers.
Erskine-Smith, a lifelong vegetarian-turned-vegan, may claim the bill isn’t a direct attack on animal agriculture, but the language is ambiguous enough to cause major disruption. This legislation represents a dangerous precedent for further government intrusion into Canadians’ diets and industries.