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Criminal Ban on Residential School Denialism

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples)

Summary

  • Creates a new Criminal Code offence for wilfully promoting hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying, or justifying the Indian residential school system, when communicated publicly (not in private conversation).
  • Integrates the new offence within section 319 hate propaganda provisions, mirroring the existing framework and intent standard.
  • Includes coordinating amendments with the Combatting Hate Act (Bill C-9) to align forfeiture, exemptions for seizure of communication facilities, and Attorney General consent requirements.
  • Preserves gatekeeping via Attorney General consent for prosecutions and allows forfeiture of items used to commit the offence.

Builder Assessment

Abstain

Principles Analysis

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Canada should aim to be the world's most prosperous country.

Primarily a hate-speech measure with limited direct economic effects; social cohesion benefits are possible but indirect.

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Promote economic freedom, ambition, and breaking from bureaucratic inertia (reduce red tape).

Creates a new speech-related criminal offence that expands legal exposure and enforcement complexity, risking a chilling effect on discourse.

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Drive national productivity and global competitiveness.

No direct link to productivity or competitiveness; any effects on academic or media activity are speculative.

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Grow exports of Canadian products and resources.

No bearing on trade or export performance.

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Encourage investment, innovation, and resource development.

Does not target investment or innovation policy; reputational effects are uncertain.

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Deliver better public services at lower cost (government efficiency).

Adds a prosecutable offence, potentially increasing justice-system workload; Attorney General consent may limit costs.

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Reform taxes to incentivize work, risk-taking, and innovation.

No tax policy components.

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Focus on large-scale prosperity, not incrementalism.

Narrow, targeted criminal law change addressing a social harm rather than broad prosperity outcomes.

Did we get the builder vote wrong?

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C-254

PartyMember of Parliament
StatusOutside the Order of Precedence
Last updatedN/A
TopicsCriminal Justice, Indigenous Affairs, Social Issues
Parliament45