Farmers file $7B mad cow lawsuit

[CHIMO]

TORONTO - A group of farmers on Monday filed a $7-billion class-action lawsuit against the federal government, alleging its failure to protect against mad cow disease led to a crisis in the cattle industry.

"The loss of billions of dollars by the Canadian cattle industry was the result of gross incompetence and negligence on the part of the Canadian government," said a statement from the group.

The suit, which represents farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec, says Ottawa lost track of nearly half the 191 cows from Britain that were supposed to be tracked for signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to prevent them from being used in cattle food.

The claim also targets Australian-based animal feed maker Ridley Corp., saying it should have stopped using cattle remains in its Canadian food supply the same time it stopped in Australia in 1996.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/11/madcow-lawsuit050411.html

This may get someones attention.

[FloridaPat]

1. And the farmers couldn't get tests on their own cows because????

[whatelseisnew]

2. Well, in the US it is illegal for farmers to test their own

I don't have a link for that but it has been on DU.

Maybe it is similar in CA

[FloridaPat]

6. Dumb and dumber. Hide all the evidence until there are hundreds of

thousands of people with mad cow disease. Our government in action - corporations before everything - including the public health.

[CHIMO]

3. CAN rejects universal BSE test

Canada: No Scientific Basis for Universal Testing of Cattle
Testing every cow in Canada for BSE has no scientific basis and isn't necessary to reassure international markets, federal Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell said Friday.

http://www.ellinghuysen.com/news/articles/11262.shtml

Believe that to have the test done properly that it has to be certified. Don't think the government wants to grant that certification. Going from memory here and couldn't dig up a reference.

[Village Idiot]

4. Considering how little attention the dismissal...

of three scientists involved in the "whistle blowing" scandal when the Lieberal government tried to squash the original "Mad Cow" study got, I don't see this generating much outrage...

sigh.

[kypper]

5. Conservatives wouldn't do anything different

Only party that would make a huge effort is the NDP. Try writing Ed Broadbent or something to alert him of the dangers of CJD