Minister, thanks for being here today, and congratulations as well.
This is my first time speaking at committee, so I'm joining the program already in progress, so to speak.
To give you some context, my riding is an agricultural one, and my family operates a small cow-calf operation. I'm a hunter here in Ontario. I appreciate the broad scope of consultations that were undertaken, and I heard you list some of the groups that were consulted.
Understanding that the intent has been stated of ensuring that the proposed law doesn't interfere with legitimate or traditional hunting, farming and trapping practices, up to and including indigenous harvesting rights, I wonder what will protect legitimate hunting and angling practices that include baiting from being targeted when the proposed wording in English—albeit I understand there is a more specific word in French—in paragraph 445.1(1)(b) is the following:
in any manner encourages, aids, promotes, arranges, assists at, receives money for or takes part in (i) the fighting or baiting of animals or birds
As you know, fishing and hunting both use baiting.
What protects against that in spite of the preamble and the intention that was stated at the outset?