LIBERALS STILL REFUSING TO PROTECT ANIMALS

[Caro18 0]

Mar. 14, 2008



B.C. LIBERALS STILL REFUSING TO PROTECT ANIMALS FROM POISONOUS ANTIFREEZE, SAYS NDP



VICTORIA – The Campbell Liberals’ vote against a legislative amendment to protect animals from poisonous antifreeze shows they continue to drag their feet on this important issue, New Democrat MLA Scott Fraser said today.

“The Campbell government said they would work with us on a solution to protect animals from poisonous antifreeze, but almost a year and a half after we first raised this issue, we’re still waiting for them to come to the table,” said Fraser.

“If they are serious about protecting pets and wild animals, the B.C. Liberals will agree to work with us this session and bring in legislation so that we can get a solution in place before next fall, when many people replace the antifreeze in their vehicles.”

During debate on changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act yesterday in the legislature, Fraser introduced a friendly amendment to include protection from poisonous antifreeze in the bill. The amendment was voted down by the Campbell Liberals.

Last fall, the Campbell government struck down a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Fraser that would have brought in an incremental ban on the sale of sweet-tasting but highly-poisonous ethylene glycol-based antifreeze.

Since it was first proposed by Fraser in 2006, the Promotion of Safe Antifreeze Act has drawn wide support, and has been endorsed by groups including the B.C. Society for the Protection of Animals (B.C. SPCA), the David Suzuki Foundation, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, the B.C. Chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada, and the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society.

“Antifreeze tastes like candy, and it needlessly kills thousands of animals each year. These tragic deaths could be prevented if people switched to propylene glycol antifreeze, which is just as effective as conventional antifreeze but is less toxic and does not taste as sweet,” said Fraser.

MLAs continue to collect petitions in support of a ban on poisonous antifreeze. Petitions can be downloaded from the SPCA website, and then mailed in to Fraser’s office or to the office of your local MLA.