Ottawa Criticizes $8-Million Cost Estimate for Animal Captivity Bill as Speculative and Premature.

August 8, 2024 TruthUSA

The parliamentary budget officer estimates that enforcing a proposed law to ban elephants and great apes in captivity could cost up to $8 million over the first five years.

The federal government disputes this figure, deeming it speculative as the legislation has not been passed yet.

Bill S-15 was introduced by the government in the Senate last November but has not been approved in either the Senate or the House of Commons.

The PBO’s $8 million projection is based on information provided by the government regarding the staffing and technology needed to uphold the law.

However, a spokesperson for Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault suggests that if the bill is enacted, the government will determine the most efficient way to implement it, including potentially utilizing current staff and systems.

Currently, there are 23 elephants and approximately 30 gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans in captivity in Canada, and the proposed legislation would ban any additional animals from being kept unless for conservation or animal welfare reasons.