Sitting 27 — September 23, 2025

The sitting was dominated by a Bloc Québécois opposition motion on the notwithstanding clause and Quebec’s secularism law, with the central political argument turning on whether the federal government’s Supreme Court intervention is a legitimate defence of the Charter of Rights or an attack on provincial autonomy. Government Orders also saw the introduction of two private members’ bills and the tabling of committee reports.

The main item of Government Orders business was the Bloc Québécois opposition motion, moved by Rhéal Éloi Fortin (BQ), calling on the government to withdraw from the Supreme Court challenge to Quebec’s Act respecting the laicity of the State, withdraw its factum contesting Quebec’s right to invoke the notwithstanding clause, and denounce the government’s willingness to use the court to take constitutional powers from Quebec and the provinces. The Bloc argued that the notwithstanding clause is a legitimate constitutional tool, that Quebec has used it for decades on laws from language to social policy, and that the federal factum’s examples—such as slavery or arbitrary executions—were insulting fearmongering. The Liberals defended the intervention, with ministers and parliamentary secretaries arguing that the Attorney General has a duty to clarify the law when lower courts disagree, that the factum does not challenge Bill 21 itself but only the pre-emptive and perpetual use of section 33, and that unchecked use of the clause could erode Charter rights for all Canadians. The Conservatives largely did not engage with the substance of the motion, instead accusing the Liberals of manufacturing a constitutional crisis to distract from the cost of living, crime and debt. The NDP did not speak to the motion. A recorded division was requested but not held before adjournment.

Earlier in Routine Proceedings, Xavier Barsalou-Duval (BQ) introduced Bill C-245, An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec), arguing that Canadian multiculturalism contradicts Quebec’s interculturalism model. Rachael Thomas (CPC) introduced Bill C-246, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentences for sexual offences), saying it would require courts to impose consecutive rather than concurrent sentences for sexual offences. Both bills were deemed read a first time and printed. A point of order was raised by Larry Brock (CPC), who apologized to the Bloc for a video filmed in a vacant committee room that gave the false impression Bloc members were absent from a meeting; Yves Perron (BQ) accepted the apology and urged respect among members.

Oral Questions was dominated by repeated Conservative calls for the Prime Minister to fire the Minister of Public Safety, based on a leaked audio recording in which the minister was said to have admitted the gun buyback program would not work and was a waste of money. Conservatives argued that gun crime is up 130% under the Liberals, that the $750-million program targets law-abiding hunters and sport shooters rather than the illegal guns smuggled across the border, and that the minister has failed to hire promised border officers. The government replied that the compensation program for prohibited assault-style weapons was launched that day as a pilot in Cape Breton, that it does not affect hunting, and that the government is also investing in border security and bail reform. A secondary theme was the Bloc’s criticism of the government’s Supreme Court factum on the notwithstanding clause, with the government repeating that its intervention is about defending the Charter, not attacking Bill 21. A few questions touched on extortion, wildfire response and red tape reduction, but these did not alter the dominant narrative.