National

Liberal minister backs Bloc call to eliminate religious exemption for hate speech

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Dec, 2025 11:06 AM

Culture Minister Marc Miller is expressing support for the removal of a religious exemption for hate speech in the Criminal Code.

Miller, who chaired the justice committee until he rejoined cabinet Monday, says he doesn’t believe people should be using religion to escape from prosecution for a hate crime.

The Bloc Québécois said in a press release Monday that the party had the government’s support for an amendment to get rid of the exemption.

The comments follow a report by the National Post saying the Liberals had reached a deal with the Bloc to remove the exemption in exchange for supporting the Liberals’ hate crime bill, C-9.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will oppose the amendment, which he called an attack on freedom of expression and religion.

The House of Commons justice committee has started the clause-by-clause process to amend the bill, but that work stalled during the last committee meeting due to a Conservative filibuster.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. shuts door on secondary-suite incentive program over 'uncertain financial times'

The British Columbia government says it is cancelling an incentive program meant to entice more homeowners to build secondary suites, saying the decision is "due to uncertain financial times." The government says in a statement that the pilot program won't accept applications after March 31.

B.C. shuts door on secondary-suite incentive program over 'uncertain financial times'

Ottawa condemns China for executing Canadians as Beijing points to drug crime

Global Affairs Canada and the Chinese embassy both declined to say how many Canadians were executed or report the names of those killed. Ottawa did confirm they did not include Abbotsford, B.C. native Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling by a Chinese court in 2019.

Ottawa condemns China for executing Canadians as Beijing points to drug crime

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

The federal government is providing about $20 million in funding to support British Columbia's forestry sector, part of Ottawa's effort to bolster the economy amid the Canada-U. S. trade war. Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says it's more important than ever to support the sector, which is subject to American duties on softwood lumber and now faces the additional threat of steep tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

British Columbia's Highway Patrol says another commercial truck has hit an overpass in Metro Vancouver, causing no visible damage, but snarling traffic on Wednesday. Police say a load of lumber the tractor trailer was hauling along Highway 99 hit the Blundell Road overpass.

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

Canadians can expect to feel the absence of the consumer carbon price at the pumps immediately but it may take longer to notice a difference in the price of other goods, a new report released Wednesday suggests. The analysis by Desjardins Economics comes less than a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and his new Liberal cabinet ordered that the consumer levy be set to zero on April 1.

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget

The budget released earlier this month shows the province was forecasting revenue of just over $2.5 billion from the tax in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while the estimated cost of the climate action tax credit was $995 million.