C-355Prohibition of the Export of Horses by Air for Slaughter Act
An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on September 19, 2023
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the Senate
What it does
Prohibits exporting live horses by air from Canada for slaughter or fattening for slaughter, and sets penalties for false declarations and violations.
What it does
- Requires anyone exporting a horse by air to give the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food a written declaration, or other approved document, saying the horse is not being shipped for slaughter or fattening for slaughter.
- Prohibits giving false or misleading information in that declaration or about anything related to it.
- Creates offences for breaking the Act, with fines up to $250,000 or jail up to two years on indictment, or fines up to $50,000 or jail up to six months on summary conviction.
- Provides a due diligence defence for a person who can show they took all reasonable steps to prevent the offence.
- Adds the new Act to the enforcement duties of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency.
- Delays the Act's start until 18 months after royal assent.
Who it affects
- Horse exporters
- Live horse shippers
- Horse owners
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Background
The bill adds the new Act to the enforcement lists in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Canada Border Services Agency Act.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts
Vote 622,
Passed
181 yeato137 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 622 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 151 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 107 10 Bloc Nay 0 30 2 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 3 0 0 Total 181 137
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalTim Louis· November 20, 2023
“I am here today to discuss an issue that is important to me and to many Canadians, Bill C-355, a private member's bill that seeks to ban the export of live horses for slaughter. I stand in the House not just as a member of Parliament but also as a Canadian who values the special relationship between humans and horses.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeJohn Barlow· November 20, 2023
“I find it interesting to rise today on Bill C-355, an act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter. I think it is important in this House, whenever we debate legislation that is going to impact the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians, that we ensure that legislation is based on sound science and data from experts, and not on a motion.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocAndréanne Larouche· November 20, 2023
“I am here today to discuss Bill C-355, a bill that prohibits the export by air of live horses for the purpose of being slaughtered or fattened for slaughter. It enacts new legislation prohibiting the export of live horses.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPAlistair MacGregor· November 20, 2023
“I am pleased to stand in the House and give my remarks, as the NDP's agriculture and agri-food critic, about Bill C-355, An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts. The bill was introduced by the member for Kitchener—Conestoga, with whom I have served on the agriculture committee for several years.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: At second reading in the Senate. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.