Many constituents have contacted my office asking for my position on Bill S-214, which was introduced by Conservative Senator Caroline Stewart-Olsen.

As you may already know, I have been a strong advocate for the improved treatment of animals for quite some time. While a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Alberta, I introduced a Private Member’s Bill 205 (Animal Protection Amendment Act). The Act proposed much tougher sentences for animal cruelty offences that would have more than doubled the current penalties for animal cruelty.

As a Member of Parliament, I have also voted in favour of additional protections for animals even when it was not a position shared by the majority within my party.

Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned throughout the 27 member countries of the European Union since 2009, and the sale of cosmetic products or ingredients subject to new animal testing after March 2013 is also illegal. Israel imposed similar bans in 2007 and 2013 and a similar policy change is also under consideration in India and South Korea.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I will be supporting Bill S-214, as I believe there is already a long list of cosmetic ingredients approved for use and new science has been developed to test products on post-surgery human skin, which eliminates the need to test on animals.

Sincerely,

Len Webber, MP
Calgary Confederation