Sitting 92 — March 9, 2026

The sitting was dominated by debate on Government Business No. 6, a time-allocation motion to force Bill C-9 (the combatting hate act) through committee and final votes, and by a take-note debate on the hostilities in Iran and the Middle East. The central political argument pitted the government and the Bloc Québécois, who accused the Conservatives of filibustering Bill C-9 to block a bill they once supported, against the Conservatives, who argued the bill would criminalize religious speech and that the government was censoring debate on a censorship bill.

Government Business No. 6 was a motion to impose strict timelines on Bill C-9, an eight-page bill that would create new offences for blocking access to places of worship, establish a stand-alone hate-motivated crime, and address the wilful promotion of hatred through hate or terrorist symbols. The Liberals and Bloc Québécois supported the motion, arguing that after six months and over 30 witnesses, the Conservatives were filibustering at committee to prevent a vote. The Conservatives opposed the motion, arguing that the most contentious part of the bill—the removal of the long-standing religious defence from the Criminal Code—had received no witness testimony and that the government was shutting down legitimate debate. A notice of closure motion was also given for the next sitting.

The Build Canada Homes Act (Bill C-20) was debated at second reading. The bill would transform the existing Build Canada Homes special operating agency into a Crown corporation to centralize federal support for affordable housing, with an initial $13-billion envelope. The Liberals argued it would fast-track construction, use federal lands, promote modular building, and support Canadian materials and jobs, citing partnerships with provinces and Indigenous communities. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois opposed it, arguing it would add a fourth housing bureaucracy without addressing root causes such as municipal development charges, permitting delays, and the industrial carbon tax. The Bloc Québécois also argued housing is a provincial jurisdiction and that Ottawa should simply transfer funds with no conditions.

Oral Questions focused on carbon pricing, the economy, public safety, and the oil and gas industry. Conservatives repeatedly argued that the clean fuel standard and industrial carbon tax were driving up the cost of food and energy, and that Canada had the worst food inflation and the only shrinking economy in the G7. The government responded by citing record oil production, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, and investments in infrastructure and critical minerals. On public safety, Conservatives pressed the government on the failure to deport hundreds of alleged IRGC members in Canada and on recent shootings at synagogues in the GTA. The government pointed to the listing of the IRGC as a terrorist entity, visa cancellations, and ongoing removal processes, and urged Conservatives to support Bill C-9.