Conservative MP's proposal to receive further debate.   Ottawa—The federal government can make provincial laws curbing farm trespassing more effective, says Conservative MP John Barlow. His bill to do that received strong support from Bloc Quebecois and NDP MPs when it was debated in late November and will be discussed further March 8. It'd make it an offence under the Health of Animals Act for anyone to enter livestock facilities without lawful authority. His bill, which has the backing of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, “will protect the mental health of our farm families, but also the integrity of our food supply,” he said. Currently the Act provides no protection against “individuals or organizations who may break into private property and put those animals at risk. This is a critical issue as we try to protect our food supply and our supply chain.” The bill doesn't prevent protests on public property, he said. There has to be consequences to individuals breaking into private property and putting the health of animals and farm families at risk. COVID-19 has “has brought our country, and just about every country around the world, to a screeching halt. Imagine what an animal-borne virus could do to Canada's agriculture industry, whether it is hogs, cattle or feathers. It would be devastating.” Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have all taken measures on farm trespassing. Kody Blois, chair of the Liberal caucus, said the bill's objective was laudable but it could require additional personnel and financial resources for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to enforce. There also needs to be discussions about whether trespassers should know the health they pose to livestock. Yvon Perrier, the Bloc ag critic, said, Barlow's bill should be adopted “because it is simply logical. Imagine not having any recourse against people sitting down in our own home. We have to adopt this measure now to avoid unfortunate events.” NDP ag critic Alistair MacGregor said has to be a balance in what the public knows about farms “and the rights of a farmer to secure his or her property from trespassers, people who may not know how the farming operation works and may not know about the dangers they might be carrying, just simply on the soles of their feet. “If the ultimate goal here is the welfare of animals, a person may have noble intentions and may want to see if the animals are being taken care of, but by doing so they may in fact be doing more harm than good. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence from Northumberland-Peterborough-South, said the protection of biosecurity on farms has always been an important issue for farmers, but it has never been more salient than right now. “There are currently no provisions at the federal level to protect our farmers, and the incredible products they produce, from trespassers, who may pass on an array of various diseases to their livestock.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.