For Immediate Release
June 28, 2005
Barrett meets with US Consul General on BSE border closure
Queens Park – In the wake of test results of an American cow with BSE, four rural Ontario MPP’s and members of the Ontario Cattlemens Association stepped up their call to open the U.S. border to Canadian beef.
PC MPP’s Toby Barrett, Bill Murdoch, Ted Arnott, Ted Chudleigh and Agriculture Critic Ernie Hardeman, joined with Dave Stewart, Ian Mckillop, and Jamie Boles of the Ontario Cattlemens Association to press their case during a meeting with US Consul General Jessica LeCroy.
“I’ve argued since this issue first arose that government response focus on common sense and science rather than fear and rhetoric – unfortunately that hasn’t been the case to this point,” said Barrett. “Hopefully, given the latest detection case, we can all work together to ensure a mutually beneficial science-based approach to getting our beef borders re-opened.”
Just last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced positive BSE final test results for an aged cow in the States.
“As of a previous meeting with the US Consul General we had an opportunity to discuss the Ontario specific problem – for example the closed border to dairy breeding stock,” Barrett said. “Consul General LeCroy reiterated much of her mandate was Ontario-focused and that she would convey Ontario’s concerns to Washington.”
During the meeting Consul General LeCroy assured the MPPs that in the wake of the latest positive BSE test result in the US, the USDA will from now on be running dual confirmatory tests – both IHC and Western Blot tests - if a rapid screening test results in inconclusive findings. If the result from either confirmatory test is positive, the sample would be considered positive for BSE.
For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629
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