Live Animal Inspection is an Essential Service: Statement by MLA Kiel Giddens, Critic for Labour, and MLA Ian Paton, Critic for Agriculture
VICTORIA, BC — “We are deeply disappointed that the NDP government failed to designate live animal inspectors as an essential service from the outset of this strike. This failure is not just an oversight – it is a serious lapse in judgment that puts food safety, animal welfare, and the stability of our food supply at risk.”
“Instead of anticipating the disruption and safeguarding inspections through essential service designation, the government waited until the strike was underway to push through a last-minute exemption via Order-in-Council. This reactive decision, made behind closed doors and signed off not by the Lieutenant Governor but by an administrator, raises real concerns about transparency and accountability.”
“It does not appear this decision came at the request of industry groups like BC Meats. Rather, it looks like a hasty patch by a government caught flat-footed. By choosing an exemption instead of making inspections essential, the NDP has weakened oversight at the very moment when confidence in food safety and animal welfare is most needed.”
“For agriculture in particular, the impact is immediate and severe. Without guaranteed inspection services, small producers and processors face serious uncertainty. With 4-H livestock sales and community fairs set to take place across British Columbia in the coming weeks, farm families and young people risk devastating financial losses after months of hard work.”
“Food safety and animal welfare are not negotiable. Local food production is not expendable. The NDP government is scrambling with a backdoor approach rather than a full essential services designation prioritizing food security, animal welfare, and public health.”
“On behalf of the Official Opposition, we call on Premier David Eby to immediately add live animal inspectors to the list of essential services. British Columbians deserve a government that protects food safety, supports local producers, and upholds public trust.”
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Media Contact:
Lindsay Shepherd, Conservative Caucus Communications Team
lindsay.shepherd@leg.bc.ca
