Freedom

To inform why Canada is in such a depressed economic and social situation, one has to reflect more deeply about the belief system at the core of the Liberal Party. Historically, they have been like a chameleon, frequently changing colour just enough to fit in and deceive supporters. Canadian finances are a mess. Moreover, once in a while, the darker side of Canadian Liberalism is exposed, which also helps explain Canada’s social malaise.

Prime Minister Carney (the Banker) has been revealed as a spendthrift of public money. The Budget tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, confirmed the lack of financial responsibility. Every economic metric has steadily worsened since 2015, hurting average Canadians and revealing the Liberal moral failure. 

However, the Liberal social rot is much deeper. Their dark side is revealed in Bill C-9, introduced in 2025. On the surface, the Bill sounds reasonable. It claims to be: -An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places). Bill C-9 would amend the Criminal Code to propose new offences to better protect access to religious, cultural and other specified places, and to address hate-motivated crimes. The proposed amendments would create four new criminal offences: (1) an intimidation offence that prohibits conduct that is intended to provoke a state of fear in another person to impede them from accessing religious or cultural institutions and other specified places; (2) an offence that prohibits the intentional obstruction of a person's lawful access to such places; (3) a hate crime offence to more explicitly denounce hate-motivated crime; and (4) an offence that prohibits wilfully promoting hatred against any identifiable group by displaying, in any public place, particular hate or terrorist symbols.

The Liberals insist Bill C-9 is needed to protect religious Canadians from hate. Implementation would likely do the opposite, as it will expose people of faith to criminal prosecution for the simple act of quoting the Bible. We must not forget that every heinous government regime in history existed by controlling thoughts and beliefs not acceptable to the State. We must not forget Rome, the Nazis, the Marxism of the Soviet Union, and the custodial countries of today. They have unique ways of justifying coercive control over social discourse.

The Liberals and the Bloc Québécois made a backroom deal to eliminate the long-standing Criminal Code safeguards for freedom of expression and religious freedom in exchange for the Bloc's support for Bill C-9. Traditionally, Canada’s hate speech laws say people cannot be prosecuted for expressing, “in good faith,” an argument or opinion on a religious subject or “based on belief in a religious text.” The Supreme Court has recognized this defence as necessary to keep Canada's hate-speech laws constitutional, recognizing the crucial importance of freedom of expression and freedom of religion.

From C-9, people of faith could be imprisoned for up to two years for expressing sincerely held religious convictions that the government finds offensive. Knowing that people of faith could face imprisonment for expressing sincere religious beliefs, should inspire Canadians to feel protective and vigilant about safeguarding religious expression.

Religious communities, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Buddhists, hold a vast range of beliefs. They often disagree on questions of morality, sexuality, politics, and culture. Some may find beliefs objectionable. But a free society based on sensible law does not criminalize the expression of sincerely held religious doctrine. We are to converse and debate people we disagree with. We do not coercively silence them, nor do we arrest and prosecute them. That is the behaviour of China, Russia, and North Korea.

The Liberals at the Justice Committee said there was “clear hatred” in some books of the Bible and Torah, singling out Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Romans. Liberals said: "Clearly, there are situations in these texts where these statements are hateful.”   “They should not be used to invoke or be a defence.”  It was said that local prosecutors should be able to “press charges.” 

C-9 removes the existing safety value of a higher review, requiring the Provincial Attorney General to give specific and individual consent for any prosecution under these sections. The Liberals are now prepared to codify their dark agenda with the help of the Bloc Québécois by removing the traditional protection.

The Bloc has long pushed for the ability to prosecute people for religious expression. The Bloc often cites the case of Montreal Imam Adil Charkaoui, who, in 2023, used a prayer to call for the extermination of Jews. Prosecutors declined to charge him, and some suggested (incorrectly) that the religious text defence tied prosecutors’ hands. What Charkaoui said was illegal. The religious text defence only applies to wilful promotion of hatred and antisemitism under section 319(2) and 319(2.1) of the Criminal Code. There is no such defence for advocating genocide under section 318 or public incitement under section 319(1).

The refusal to charge Charkaoui was another example of authorities failing to enforce existing law when the Jewish community and others were targeted.

Concerning C-9, witnesses told the Justice Committee that the religious text defence is narrow and does not offer blanket immunity, as the Liberals falsely claim. The Liberals lie, as they have an agenda. The courts have been clear that violence and calls to violence are not protected as free expression. They certainly aren’t “in good faith,” as a proper defence would require.

Removing the religious freedom safeguard from the Criminal Code will not make Canadians safer. It will certainly not protect anyone, least among them, people of faith, from hate. Religious groups have spoken out about the change, saying it could chill the promotion and teaching of religious texts by the clergy.

The Conference is Bishops says: “This narrowly framed exemption has served for many years as an essential safeguard to ensure that Canadians are not criminally prosecuted for their sincere, truth-seeking expression of beliefs made without animus and grounded in long-standing religious traditions. Courts have made clear that only the most extreme forms of speech fall within the scope of hate-propaganda offences. However, the removal of this provision risks creating uncertainty for faith communities, clergy, educators, and others who may fear that the expression of traditional moral or doctrinal teachings could be misinterpreted as hate speech and subject the speaker to proceedings that could result in imprisonment of up to 2 years. As legal experts have noted, the public's understanding of hate speech and its legal implications is often far broader than what the Criminal Code actually captures. Eliminating a clear statutory safeguard will likely therefore have a chilling effect on religious expression.”

The House of Commons reconvenes on Monday January 26, 2026. If these amendments are adopted, Bill C-9 will chill political and religious discourse, inviting the State to police peoples most deeply held religious convictions. This assault on freedom of expression and religious freedom should not stand. The Liberal haughty aggressiveness for their measures in C-9, gives a glimpse into the dark side of the Liberal political psyche.