“The Liberal government introduced Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, in September 2025. Although it is aimed at preventing hate crimes, it instead threatens the Charter rights and civil liberties of all people in Canada, including those communities that the government wishes to help protect,” writes the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.
The House passed it but the Senate is not finished with it yet, and thus it is not beyond the possibility of at least alterations.
So I wrote adapted the template to send this letter.
I am alarmed that the proposed Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9), which the government has said is meant to prevent hate crimes, will instead threaten the Charter rights and civil liberties of all people in Canada, including those communities that the government wishes to help protect.
We already have laws against hate speech. If hate speech is on the increase despite them, is it possible that adding legislation is not the answer? If we are failing to nurture a society where folks expect to find neighbours with other traditions and practices but approach those who are different with curiosity rather than fear or disdain and ask share values like honesty, courage and respect (not rigidly proscribed moral codes), maybe we need more community spaces that provide encounter, discovery and learning, not more rules to threaten, harass, and punish.
Bill C-9 should be stopped. I urge you to reject Bill C-9 and vote against its passage.
Should the Senate proceed with its consideration, you must address the shortcomings in the legislative process by undertaking broader and more meaningful consultations, particularly with communities that were not adequately heard.
Instead of the troubling measures proposed in Bill C-9, the government should favour approaches that take a positive rather than negative approach to foster understand, not categorization; to to practice humility in the face of the unknown not pre-emptive certainty about the wrongness of the unfamiliar.
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