November 21, 2018 (Edmonton) – Alberta Party MLA Rick Fraser is calling on the Minister of Agriculture to bring forward some long-awaited improvements to the Animal Protection Act.

Referencing a recent video that showed a coyote being beaten to death, Fraser stressed that action needs to be taken soon.

“I have been in discussions with the Minister of Agriculture for over a year, working with animal protection organizations and other stakeholders, and I had hoped that the Minister would listen to those concerns and act on their suggestions.”

He questioned the minister in the legislature about why nothing had been done, and whether the minister had any plans to introduce these changes before the next election. The Minister refused to commit to making these changes prior to the next election.

Fraser noted that preventing animal abuse is something all Albertans can agree on.

“From family pets to livestock, Albertans have a deep concern and compassion for animals. While the majority of Albertans would not even consider harming an animal, these protections need to be in place for extreme cases.”

“I’m concerned by the delay, and I’m concerned that this government is going to finish their term without having addressed this at all.”

“This is simply not acceptable.”