Prairie cattle producers are shrugging off an attempt by a federal Liberal backbencher to introduce strong endangered species legislation in Parliament.
“It sounds to me like he’s been pushed to the outside,” said Pat Hayes, the Saskatchewan Stockgrowers Association’s environment co-ordinator. She was speaking about Charles Caccia, who has announced he will introduce a private member’s bill that will clamp restrictions on all habitat that shelters endangered species in Canada.
“He’s trying to derail (moderate new legislation.)”
Caccia’s proposals are far stronger than legislation that died unpassed at the end of the first Liberal term. Not only would Caccia’s legislation make it illegal to disturb endangered species on federal land, but also provincial and private land. The former legislation would have only affected federal land. At the time the previous bill died, some cattle producer groups were calling it too severe.
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Since then, environment minister Christine Stewart has been trying to come up with less polarizing legislation, an attempt that has been working, say Hayes and Peggy Strankman, of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
“We’re very encouraged by that approach,” said Strankman about the bill Stewart is now formulating. It appears to focus more on voluntary action and incentives, rather than restrictions and penalties.
Hayes said he sees Caccia’s bill as an attempt to keep alive the punishment approach.
“It appears he wants it confrontational,” Hayes said.
Nothing could be further from the truth, says Caccia, who feels misunderstood in his attempts to ensure endangered species are protected.
Caccia’s proposal would protect all endangered species habitat, make it a punishable offence to harm, disturb or kill endangered species and allow private citizens to request investigations of suspected infractions of the law.
Strankman said the CCA won’t take Caccia’s bill too seriously: “This private member’s bill kind of comes out of left field.”
