Kevin Newman tackles animal rights
Outgoing Global National anchor looks at Canada’s treatment of food animals in documentary No Country for Animals
Toronto Star, July 26th 2010
By Ashante Infantry, Entertainment Reporter

As he winds down a decade-long gig as Global National anchor, Kevin Newman is stirring the pot with a pair of arresting documentaries.
Airing Wednesday at 10 p.m., No Country for Animals challenges Canada’s record as a rights haven in light of rampant mistreatment of food animals. The program combines undercover footage of the abuse of captive animals destined for slaughter with disturbing images from puppy mills, interviews with activists, and data comparing Canadian legal standards with some American and European jurisdictions to make its point.

Newman narrated, co-wrote and co-produced the documentary, directed by Karen Pinker in a partnership between Canwest and 90th Parallel Productions.

“My wife and I had a friend who works for the (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) out in Vancouver and she always complained that all of these investigations that occur, they work their tail off, they get charges finally, they get the evidence and the vast majority of the cases of animal abuse are dismissed by courts,” he said by phone from Ottawa of the impetus for the project.

“We looked at the percentage of animal abuse cases that get convicted in Canada: 0.01 per cent. I can’t think of another crime where 99.9 per cent of people charged with it get off. So, something is wrong with the law. It hasn’t changed since the Criminal Code was written in the 19th century and it treats animals as property, as having no more rights than a table.”

The film impels improved standards for food animals, which are currently allowed to be transported up to 52 hours without food or water.

“Are we willing to give our food animals the rights of a sentient being if it means we have to pay a lot more for steak?” Newman pondered. “The viewer has to decide: ‘Am I willing to pay a lot more for meat and have it less often, if it means the animal had a better life?’”