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Combatting Hate Act

2026-06-16 Sitting 137 Showing 1–2 of 2

A bill to make it easier to criminally charge people for 'hate propaganda' offenses, creating new offenses for promoting hatred against 'identifiable groups' or intimidating people accessing religious places. During debate, Conservatives raised concerns about free speech and religious liberty, while Liberals insisted the bill would only protect vulnerable communities. As usual, many members spoke at length about their own ridings and personal anecdotes only tangentially related to the bill.

Official Hansard ↗

Elizabeth May

Green 11:30 a.m.

“I want to make a big deal out of quibbling over the exact way the Prime Minister gets power. Don't interrupt my grandstanding.”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, I heard the hon. member mention frequently that there was an election in which we elected a Prime Minister. I know this may seem pedantic, but we do not elect prime ministers in this country. Under Westminster parliamentary democracy, each member in this place is equal to every other member. Every constituent has the choice to elect their member of Parliament. If their member of Parliament happens to be the leader of a party, and that party has the most seats in the House or can hold the confidence of the House, that person becomes prime minister, with no particular constitutional authority. We certainly do not directly elect them as is done in the United States. I know it may seem pedantic, but we did not elect the current Prime Minister; we elected our own MPs. Only the people in Nepean elected the Prime Minister. Beyond that, we did not elect a CEO. We did not elect a dictator. We elected a Parliament. Parliament needs to do its work. I find time allocation and programming motions offensive to those principles. I wonder if the parliamentary secretary wants to comment.

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Elizabeth May

Green 1:30 p.m.

“I am torn about this bill. Saying there is no reason to be against it ignores legitimate concerns about civil liberties. I wish we could find more ways to unite against hate. But I won't vote for the bill as it is now.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this debate is difficult because the Liberals have put forward that there is no justification for being against Bill C‑9. I have a lot of difficulty with that, particularly from a civil liberties point of view, especially in its describing of the idea of there being certain places and certain symbols. However, we are grappling with the same problem we have been grappling with for a long time. I think the cosmic jury may still be out as to whether Homo sapiens were a good idea. We seem to be willing to take up arms against each other, hate each other and do foul things to each other. It just brings to mind what Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.” I am torn about the bill in many ways, but I cannot vote for it, and I wish that there were more ways through which we could find common cause against hatred.

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What they said. What they meant.

Recent debates