A VICTORY FOR THE CANADIAN LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY

“This is the ruling we have been waiting for. It is a ruling based on science and legitimate facts declaring the safety of Canada’s livestock and our food safety system.”

YORKTON – Canadian cattle producers scored a victory last Thursday when three judges of the U.S. Appellate Court in Seattle ruled unanimously to overturn Montana Judge Richard Cebull's decision to temporarily keep the U.S. border closed to Canadian cattle. The ruling confirms what those within the Canadian cattle industry and the Conservative Party of Canada have been saying all along: Canadian beef is undeniably safe.

“This is the ruling we have been waiting for,” said Garry Breitkreuz, Conservative Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville. “It is a ruling based on science and legitimate facts declaring the safety of Canada’s livestock and our food safety system. There is no question as to the safety of our beef. The only question is to what extent R-CALF will go to keep our beef from returning to the United States.”

With this hurdle behind us, the Conservative Party and the entire Canadian livestock industry will look toward the July 27th hearing in Billings, Montana. The American rancher group R-CALF is asking Judge Cebull to permanently ban Canadian livestock and boxed beef from crossing into the United States. Since the border was closed to Canadian cattle on May 20, 2003, R-CALF members have reaped huge financial benefits with their beef at a premium in the U.S. The downside has been a loss of thousands of jobs at American packing plants where Canadian cattle were normally processed, and a huge Canadian cattle herd, worth just a fraction of its value prior to the U.S. border closure.

Although the Canadian livestock industry will not be represented by Canada’s Liberal government in Billings, it will have a voice through the Conservative Party of Canada, which succeeded in obtaining amicus status at the July 27th hearing. Conservative MPs were also the only Canadian parliamentarians to attend the court proceedings in Seattle.

“I am proud to have my name included on the amicus brief filed by the Conservative Party,” said Breitkreuz, who is one of 70 Conservative MPs and Senators to be granted amicus status. “It is vital for us to stand in support of Canada’s livestock industry. All Canadians believe in the safety and quality of Canadian beef and that message will be relayed to Judge Cebull in the Billings court.

“We are hopeful that Judge Cebull will recognize the court ruling in Seattle as well as the facts and science that we will present to him,” said Breitkreuz. “We will adamantly defend our producers and our industry.”

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