C-3An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on November 26, 2021
- Status
- Became law on December 17, 2021 · S.C. 2021, c. 27
What it does
Creates new offences around blocking access to health services and changes paid medical leave rules in the Canada Labour Code.
What it does
- Creates offences for intimidating someone to stop them from getting health services, intimidating a health professional, or intimidating someone who helps a health professional.
- Creates an offence for blocking or interfering with a person’s lawful access to a place where health services are provided, with a defence for people who are there only to get or share information.
- Adds offences against health service providers, and offences that stop another person from getting health services, as aggravating factors in sentencing.
- Repeals the Canada Labour Code’s personal leave for an employee to treat their illness or injury.
- Provides that an employee may earn and take up to 10 days of paid medical leave in a calendar year.
- Authorizes the Governor in Council to make regulations that change paid medical leave rules in certain situations.
Who it affects
- People seeking health services
- Health professionals
- People who assist health professionals
- Federally regulated employees
- Federally regulated employers
Background
Introduced on 26 November 2021, the bill amends the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Skipped. Skipped
Third reading
Completed.
Senate pre study
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code
Vote 10,
Passed
332 yeato0 nay
Party breakdown for vote 10 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 155 0 4 Conservative Yea 118 0 1 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 332 0 Time allocation for Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code
Vote 9,
Passed
180 yeato145 nay
Party breakdown for vote 9 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 154 0 5 Conservative Nay 0 114 5 Bloc Nay 0 31 1 NDP Yea 23 0 2 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 180 145
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalSeamus O'Regan· December 3, 2021
“With Bill C-3, we are taking measures to ensure that Canadians who work in federally regulated industries have access to the paid sick leave they are entitled to. The Government of Canada is introducing legislation that would amend the Canada Labour Code to provide 10 days of paid sick leave per year to workers in the federally regulated private sector.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeScott Aitchison· December 3, 2021
“We are supportive of what the minister has proposed here today, and we are eager to see it happen, but perhaps one of the most important things we could do right now is to add some minor amendments to the bill to capture a private member's bill from the previous Parliament brought to us by the MP for Calgary Shepard.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocMaxime Blanchette-Joncas· December 3, 2021
“I rise today in the House to debate Bill C-3, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code, with my esteemed colleagues. I would first like to share something with you.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPAlexandre Boulerice· December 3, 2021
“The House is debating Bill C‑3 today, and I must say that my NDP colleagues and I are extremely pleased to be able to rise in this place and discuss one of the two issues in the bill: the proposal to provide 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers. Why are we so happy about this?”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.