Bill C-9 will do more harm than good, says Ross

Member of Parliament Ellis Ross said Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, will cause chaos if approved.

Bill C-9 is intended to protect religious freedom and the right to attend religious gatherings without fear of harassment or intimidation. The bill also aims to protect identifiable groups from hatred.

Many organizations are concerned with the vague wording and the bill is legally ambiguous in its current stage and could create unintended consequences, said the Canadian Labour Congress.

“For workers, the threat is clear. The Charter protects the right to strike — yet without amendment, Bill C-9 will erode this right, making certain legal job actions a criminal offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This is a direct attack on organized labour and freedom of association.”

Many Conservative MPs are concerned that this will threaten freedom of religion and freedom of expression in Canada, said Ross.

“I would like to make it clear that I do not support the Liberals outrageous Bill C-9.This amendment will not make Canadians safer, but will instead put people of faith at risk for possible criminal prosecution simply for quoting or discussing their own sacred texts,” he said.

“Calls for violence such as advocating genocide or inciting public hatred are already illegal under existing Criminal Code sections and there is no religious defense for those offenses. My conservative colleagues and I will continue to fight this reckless and unprecedented attack on religious freedoms and defend our Charter rights that the Liberals’ are trying to tear down.”

An amendment to the bill made by the Bloc Québécois earlier this week also removed the religious exemption for expressing or attempting to establish by argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text, which could lead to prosecution.

Ross also said many of his constituents have voiced concerns about the bill.

“My office has been receiving many phone calls and emails regarding Bill C-9. Thank you to all my constituents who have taken the time to reach out and share their concerns.”

-Files by Kolten Bezooyen, My Prince Rupert Now staff