Bill C-9

Liberal MPs on the justice and human rights committee voted Tuesday evening to approve a controversial Bloc Québécois amendment to Bill C-9 that removes the religious speech defence from Canada’s hate speech law.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to retract the Liberal Party’s reported agreement with the Bloc Québécois to remove religious-belief exemptions from Canada’s hate speech laws.

The Department of Justice has affirmed that Catholic and Christian houses of worship will fall under the religious building protections of The Combatting Hate Act, Bill C-9, if it becomes law.

“Rising anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia have left too many people feeling unsafe in their own communities.”