On Friday, the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act (Bill S-214) was introduced to Canada’s House of Commons for debate, a major move that will determine if the bill is passed into law. Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen first introduced the bill in 2015 in partnership with animal-rights groups Humane Society International (HSI) and Animal Alliance of Canada (AAC). Canada’s Senate passed the bill in June and, after several delays, it was introduced to the House by Conservative Shadow Minister for Health Marilyn Gladu. “As a proud Canadian, I could not be more pleased to see my country move a step closer to becoming a cruelty-free beauty market,” Troy Seidle, HSI Vice President of Research & Toxicology, said. “In 2019, with the vast array of established cosmetic ingredients and animal-free approaches to safety assessment, there’s simply no excuse for continued reliance on animal testing for cosmetic products or ingredients.” According to a poll conducted by The Strategic Counsel on behalf of AAC, 88 percent of Canadians do not support testing cosmetics on animals. The bill is also supported by international companies such as LUSH Cosmetics and The Body Shop, which work to end animal testing in the cosmetics industry worldwide. “We know that our millions of customers who support Bill S-214 will take this issue with them to the polls this fall and will elect leaders who legislate on their behalf,” Mark and Karen Wolverton, co-owners of LUSH North America, said in a joint statement. “We believe that animal testing for cosmetics is not acceptable or relevant and perpetuates the suffering of animals.” If the bill is passed by the House of Commons, Canada will become the 40th country in the world to ban cosmetic animal testing, a decision AAC director Liz White said cannot come fast enough. “We urge the Canadian government to act quickly and pass this crucial legislation to prevent any more animals from suffering needlessly,” White said. “We look forward to working with officials to see Canada join other nations in taking a stand against cruel cosmetics by enacting the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act.”

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