Over the past two months, increasing numbers of Oshawa's constituents have voiced serious concerns about the Liberal government's Bill C-9, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places).
Having passed Second Reading in October 2025, Bill C-9 is currently at the Committee stage in the House of Commons awaiting further study and further amendment.
Two key Canadian Charter-protected rights affected by Bill C-9 include an individual's right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
Some organizations, including the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, are concerned that a recent series of Liberal/Bloc Québécois amendments to Bill C-9 may be used to criminalize certain passages from major religious texts including the Bible, Torah, or Quran – among others.
Several Canadian legal and religious scholars believe that the Liberal/Bloc amendments could make it easier for the state to prosecute individuals by removing the requirement for the Attorney General's consent, lowering the bar for criminal charges, and opening the door to the criminalization of certain sacred texts and writings.
Now's the time to help us safeguard Canadians' religious freedoms and reject Bill C-9.
Please your name below.
Our Petition
Whereas the state has no place in the religious texts or teachings of any faith community;
Whereas freedom of expression and freedom of religion are fundamental rights that must be preserved.
Therefore...
We, the undersigned, call upon the Liberal government to ensure Bill C-9 does not remove the religious-text defence from the Criminal Code. Instead, the Liberal government must continue to protect Canadians's longstanding religious freedom, uphold the right to read and share sacred texts, and prevent government overreach into matters of faith.
N.B.: You may sign this petition once per valid e-mail address. If another member of your household wishes to sign on, please reload this page and sign on with another e-mail address.