Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to call upon the government to properly compensate my constituent, Mr. Walter Jerram.
His bull was seized because its only crime was being imported from the United Kingdom and just may have been exposed to BSE, mad cow disease.
Last Thursday Agriculture Canada and the RCMP seized the bull at 6.30 a.m. They cut through his chain fence, seized his bull and were gone in 20 minutes. No warrant was produced and a curt letter was left behind informing him that because he had resorted to legal recourse he would not be paid the routine, if low, $2,000 in compensation.
The handling of this case is despicable. They came as thieves in the night. Canadians deserve better from their government. I call upon the minister of agriculture to pay the compensation my constituent deserves and launch an inquiry into the handling of this case.