Danielle Smith recently joined independent journalist David Krayden for an interview, where the host asked the Alberta premier what she thought about the gruesome scene that unfolded at Universal Ostrich Farms in southeastern British Columbia.

“Avian flu, and this particular strain that (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is) worried about, is deadly,” Smith said. “Not just birds but also other animal species,” she continued, noting her preference to “defer to what the owner would say” about any potential cull order.

“In this particular case, what I didn't understand is why didn't they take the Americans up on their offer and transport the birds and test them,” the premier wondered.

“There seemed to be an appetite to do that; we have collaboration with the federal government in the U.S. around health issues. That was a bit of a mystery to me, I always want to see if there's a better way.”

On Tuesday's Rebel Roundup livestream, hosts Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle shared their thoughts on Premier Smith's measured reaction to the emotional story.

Backing Smith's point of view, Sheila was quick to caution that even if the farmers did reach an agreement with the U.S. to take the birds, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would still have control over the situation because of “quarantine rules” in Canada.

“The fate of the livestock would still lie in the hands of the CFIA, who were on a mission to make sure that these birds were dead,” Sheila said.

“The CFIA is proving to be an agency that, number one, has gone too far,” said Lise. Secondly, the agency has “mischaracterized their mandate,” she added.

“Unlike chickens and unlike beef, these ostriches weren't being used for food; they were actually being used for research purposes.”

With the birds having value for scientific study, “they would have let these birds live” and used continued using their eggs for avian flu research, she said.

“The CFIA, if they're wondering why they're the most unpopular federal agency in Canada right now, it is because they have mishandled this in every way imaginable.”

Help Rebel News continue its reporting on the Ostrich massacre!

For months, our team has been on the ground at Universal Ostrich Farms, documenting every step of this tragedy — from the first ominous signs of federal overreach to the night nearly a thousand shots rang out, leaving a field of hundreds of dead ostriches and a family shattered.

Our journalists confronted the RCMP, pressed CFIA officials, launched drones to reveal the truth, and refused to be intimidated or silenced.

But holding powerful institutions to account takes resources: travel, security, legal access, and the manpower of an around-the-clock reporting team.

If you believe in independent journalism that asks the tough questions the establishment won’t touch, please chip in to help us keep digging.

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