Sitting 97 — March 23, 2026
45-1 · 310 speeches · 64,069 words · most frequent word: “c-9”
Combatting Hate Act·Employment·Public SafetyTopic cloud
Summary
The sitting opened with debate on Bill C-242, the Conservative jail-not-bail act, followed by extensive consideration of Bill C-9 at report stage, where Conservative members moved motions in amendment including one to delete the short title of the combatting hate act. The debate over Bill C-9's removal of the religious defence from the Criminal Code continued to be the central cleavage in the House, with Conservatives maintaining that the amendment would open faithful Canadians to criminal prosecution for quoting sacred texts, while Liberal and Bloc members insisted the provision only removed a shield for those who wilfully promote hatred. The parliamentary secretary for international trade delivered an extended defence of the bill, while Conservative members from across the country presented constituent concerns.
Question period was anchored by a sombre opening from the government House leader, who expressed condolences following an accident at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express aircraft. The remainder of the session saw opposition members hammer the government on the loss of 108,000 full-time jobs in the latest employment report and the announcement of 1,000 additional layoffs at Algoma Steel. Liberal ministers attributed the economic headwinds to the tariff war with the United States and the conflict in the Middle East, while touting record levels of foreign direct investment and new trade deals. The Bloc Québécois pressed the government on the Supreme Court challenge to Bill 21 and the Cúram software cost overruns, and the NDP raised concerns about flood protection in British Columbia.
AI-generated summary (claude-sonnet-4-5 (via coding harness subagent, 2026-07-17)) — may contain errors; verify against the official Hansard.
Topics
- Private Members' Business
- Jail Not Bail Act9 speeches
- Notice of Motion at Report Stage1 speech
- Government Orders
- Combatting Hate Act170 speeches
- Statements by Members
- Supervised Consumption Sites1 speech
- David Barnett1 speech
- April Celebrations1 speech
- Irish Heritage Month1 speech
- Rodger Brulotte2 speeches
- Autisme Laval1 speech
- Natural Resources1 speech
- Innovation and Defence1 speech
- Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt1 speech
- Roland Dagenais1 speech
- National Prayer Breakfast1 speech
- World Water Day1 speech
- International Day of La Francophonie2 speeches
- The Economy1 speech
- Community Engagement in Burnaby Central1 speech
- Oral Questions
- Employment24 speeches
- Justice6 speeches
- The Economy8 speeches
- Public Services and Procurement4 speeches
- Public Safety16 speeches
- Automotive Industry8 speeches
- National Defence2 speeches
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship8 speeches
- Foreign Affairs2 speeches
- Emergency Management2 speeches
- Routine Proceedings
- Government Response to Petitions1 speech
- Committees of the House4 speeches
- Petitions7 speeches
- Questions Passed as Orders for Return4 speeches
- Government Orders
- Points of Order3 speeches
- Adjournment Proceedings
- Industry14 speeches
Bills debated
- C-9Combatting Hate Act58 mentions
- C-14Bail and Sentencing Reform Act7 mentions
- C-242Jail Not Bail Act6 mentions
- C-11Military Justice System Modernization Act3 mentions
- C-16Protecting Victims Act2 mentions
- C-5One Canadian Economy Act2 mentions
- C-8An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts2 mentions
- C-290An Act to amend the Criminal Code (theft of property of cultural or religious significance)1 mention
- C-12Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act1 mention
- C-22Lawful Access Act, 20261 mention
- C-10Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act1 mention
- C-4Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act1 mention
- C-18Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation Act1 mention
Top speakers
| Member | Party | Speeches | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Lamoureux | Liberal | 32 | 4,571 |
| Jeremy Patzer | Conservative | 9 | 2,845 |
| Andrew Lawton | Conservative | 9 | 2,409 |
| Elizabeth May | Green | 8 | 2,186 |
| Ted Falk | Conservative | 5 | 1,972 |
| Carol Anstey | Conservative | 6 | 1,916 |
| Wade Grant | Liberal | 8 | 1,907 |
| Brad Vis | Conservative | 5 | 1,906 |
| James Bezan | Conservative | 5 | 1,902 |
| Cheryl Gallant | Conservative | 7 | 1,879 |