C-9Combatting Hate Act
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)
Government bill, introduced in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025
- Status
- Became law on June 18, 2026 · S.C. 2026, c. 15
What it does
Creates new Criminal Code offences for hate symbols, hate-motivated crimes, and intimidation or obstruction at places of worship or other protected sites.
What it does
- Creates an offence of wilfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group by displaying certain hate symbols in a public place, including symbols linked to listed terrorist entities, Nazi symbols, and a noose.
- Removes the defence based on opinions about religious subjects or texts for wilful promotion of hatred and antisemitism offences, and clarifies that public-interest statements are not banned unless they wilfully promote hatred or antisemitism.
- Creates a hate crime offence for any federal offence that is motivated by hatred based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
- Creates offences for intimidating someone to stop access to places used for religious worship or by an identifiable group, and for intentionally blocking or interfering with lawful access to those places or to cemeteries.
- Makes the new intimidation offence a designated offence for bail and wiretap rules, and lets courts treat a lesser included offence as proven when the hate crime charge is not fully proved.
Who it affects
- People accused of hate propaganda offences
- People accused of hate crimes
- Religious communities
- Identifiable groups
- People using places of worship
- People using cemeteries
- Prosecutors
- Courts
Background
The bill amends the Criminal Code. It changes existing rules on hate propaganda and adds new offences linked to hate and access to certain places.
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
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
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
Motion respecting Senate amendments to Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)
Vote 168,
Passed
189 yeato128 nay · 14 paired
Party breakdown for vote 168 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 164 0 10 Conservative Nay 0 128 12 Bloc Yea 19 0 3 NDP Yea 4 0 1 Green Yea 1 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 189 128 Motion respecting Senate amendments to Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) (amendment)
Vote 167,
Failed
132 yeato184 nay · 14 paired
Party breakdown for vote 167 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 165 9 Conservative Yea 126 0 14 Bloc Nay 0 19 3 NDP Yea 4 0 1 Green Yea 1 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 132 184 Time allocation for Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)
Vote 161,
Passed
168 yeato159 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 161 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 168 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 133 7 Bloc Nay 0 19 3 NDP Nay 0 5 0 Green Nay 0 1 0 Independent Nay 0 1 0 Total 168 159 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)
Vote 93,
Passed
186 yeato137 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 93 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 164 0 6 Conservative Nay 0 131 10 Bloc Yea 22 0 0 NDP Nay 0 5 1 Green Nay 0 1 0 Total 186 137 Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) (recommittal to a committee)
Vote 92,
Failed
123 yeato190 nay · 10 paired
Party breakdown for vote 92 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 163 7 Conservative Yea 122 0 19 Bloc Nay 0 22 0 NDP Nay 0 5 1 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 123 190 Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places)
Vote 86,
Passed
188 yeato144 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 86 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 166 0 4 Conservative Nay 0 138 3 Bloc Yea 22 0 0 NDP Nay 0 5 1 Green Nay 0 1 0 Total 188 144
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalSean Fraser· September 24, 2025
“The bill sets out a fourth offence, that of the willful promotion of hatred. An offence already exists, but, in my opinion, we must ensure we enforce it, including when it comes to hate symbols.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeLarry Brock· September 24, 2025
“The bill, as drafted, is vague and broad. Civil liberty organizations across Canada have already raised the alarm.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocRhéal Fortin· September 24, 2025
“The current definition in the bill is as follows: hatred means the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than disdain or dislike. This definition came about following various decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, which has never actually validated this text.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPLori Idlout· October 1, 2025
“Uqaqtittiji, I join this debate on Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, as the voice of Nunavut and as a member of the NDP. The NDP believes the federal government must take comprehensive action to fight the rising tide of hate in Canada.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caGreenElizabeth May· March 23, 2026
“I rise today to speak to Bill C-9, the anti-hate bill. I will start by saying that I hate the bill.”
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.