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Combatting Hate Act

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)

Summary

  • Creates a new hate-crime offence that applies when any Criminal Code or federal offence is motivated by hatred toward protected characteristics, with enhanced maximum penalties scaled to the underlying offence.
  • Establishes an intimidation/obstruction offence for impeding access to buildings primarily used for religious worship or by identifiable groups, and to cemeteries, punishable by up to 10 years, with an exception for merely obtaining or communicating information.
  • Repeals the Attorney General consent requirement for prosecutions under s.318 (advocating genocide) and updates hate-propaganda provisions and definitions in s.319 (details not specified here).
  • Extends investigative/procedural tools (e.g., wiretap and DNA-designated offence lists), clarifies fallback convictions if hate motive is not proven, and brings the Act into force 30 days after Royal Assent.

Builder Assessment

Neutral

Principles Analysis

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

Primarily a criminal law and public safety measure; any economic impact is indirect via social stability and community participation.

✓

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

Removing Attorney General consent for s.318 and clarifying procedures reduce prosecutorial red tape and signal that intimidation that chills civic/economic participation will be addressed.

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Drive national productivity and global competitiveness.

Safer, more inclusive communities can help workforce participation and talent attraction, but the effect on productivity is indirect and unquantified.

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Grow exports of Canadian products and resources.

No direct bearing on trade or export capacity.

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Encourage investment, innovation, and resource development.

Improved public safety may support investor confidence at the margins, but the bill does not target investment or innovation directly.

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

Streamlining prosecutions could save time, but new offences may require additional policing and prosecutorial resources; net fiscal impact is unclear.

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

No tax measures.

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Focus on large-scale prosperity, not incrementalism.

A targeted justice reform that does not materially change Canada’s growth trajectory.

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Email [email protected]

C-9

PartyLiberal
StatusAt second reading in the House of Commons
Last updatedSep 19, 2025
TopicsSocial Issues
Parliament45