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Media Release

National animal protection election debate to take place on April 23rd

April 16, 2025. For immediate release.

TORONTO—For the second time in Canadian history, federal candidates will square off this Earth Week in a national all-party debate focused on animal protection issues. 

Animal protection emerged as an election issue for the first time in the 2021 federal election, with the main parties making campaign announcements and platform commitments. A 2024 Nanos poll found 43% of Canadians would be more likely to vote for a political party at the upcoming election if they support stronger animal protection laws and policies. 

Debate participants include:

  • Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal candidate in Beaches—East York, Toronto, ON
  • Alistair MacGregor, NDP candidate in Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
  • Elizabeth May, Green candidate in Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
  • Yves Perron, Bloc Québécois candidate in Berthier-Maskinongé, QC

Jointly hosted by Animal Justice, the Montreal SPCA, the Vancouver Humane Society, BC SPCA and World Animal Protection, the debate will be moderated by former journalist and co-founder of KAPOW Communications, Karman Wong. All parties with a seat in Parliament were invited to participate. The debate will take place in English and French and will be simultaneously translated.

The debate will cover animal protection legislation, zoos, wildlife trade, animal agriculture, plant-based foods, agricultural trade, antimicrobial resistance, animal testing and institutional reform.

Despite strong public concern over the wellbeing of animals, Canada is widely considered to have some of the worst animal protection laws in the western world. A number of animal welfare bills in the last Parliament sought to change this but died when the election was called (eg; Bill S-15 would have banned elephant and great ape captivity, Bill C-355 would have banned the export of live horses to slaughter and Bill C-293 would have addressed top animal-related pandemic drivers like live animal markets and the wildlife trade). 

The animal protection groups hosting the event say these and other animal issues must be part of the legislative agenda in the next Parliament, and this debate aims to give voters the information they need to make an informed decision about how federal parties will improve animal protection laws and policies.

Animal protection is inextricably linked with other major election issues— when you consider the number of animals traded across our national borders, the shift to buying more local food and the urgent need to mitigate climate change and pandemic risk. Animal agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and more than 14.5 million farmed birds have been culled in Canada due to avian flu. 

Members of the public are invited to register to watch the debate at www.animalelectiondebate.ca. 

Media are invited to participate and submit questions and are asked to RSVP to Pierre Sadik at psadik@animaljustice.ca   

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