The sitting was dominated by debate on Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which the government advanced to third reading and final vote, and by sustained Conservative attacks on the government’s economic record, particularly job losses, food inflation and fuel costs. The central political argument pitted the government’s claim that it is building the strongest economy in the G7 against the opposition’s charge that Canada has the only shrinking G7 economy and the highest food inflation.
Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, would create new Criminal Code offences for obstructing access to places of worship and community spaces, establish a stand-alone hate crime offence, codify the Supreme Court’s definition of hatred, and criminalize the wilful public display of hate or terrorist symbols. The government and the Bloc Québécois supported the bill, arguing it would protect vulnerable communities from rising hate crimes. The Conservatives and the NDP opposed it. Conservatives argued the bill removes a long-standing religious defence from the Criminal Code, exposing good-faith religious expression to prosecution, and that existing laws are sufficient if enforced. The NDP argued the bill’s language is vague and could criminalize peaceful protest and legitimate dissent, citing concerns from civil liberties groups. A Conservative amendment to send the bill back to committee for further witness testimony was defeated. The bill passed third reading on a recorded vote.
During Oral Questions, the opposition repeatedly pressed the government on economic performance, citing 100,000 jobs lost in the first two months of 2026, the only shrinking G7 economy, the highest G7 food inflation and household debt, and fuel prices 26 cents per litre higher than in the United States. The government answered by pointing to wage growth outpacing inflation, a 33-month low in rents, tax cuts for 22 million Canadians, and major investments in defence, housing and clean energy. On immigration, the Leader of the Opposition cited an Auditor General’s report condemning three current ministers for allowing 150,000 suspected fraud cases to go uninvestigated; the Prime Minister replied that asylum claims are down by a third and foreign students by 60% under his government. On justice, the Bloc Québécois pressed the Prime Minister on whether he supports the separation of church and state, referencing his government’s challenge to Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21; the Prime Minister said the federal government has a duty to defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that the matter is before the Supreme Court. On Bill C-9, the government defended the bill as protecting religious freedom; Conservatives argued it would criminalize the reading of sacred texts.
In Routine Proceedings, the government tabled responses to 10 petitions. The Standing Committee on Health reported Bill C-234, respecting a living donor recognition medal, with amendments. Multiple Conservative members presented petitions opposing Bill C-9 on religious freedom grounds. Other petitions concerned shoreline erosion, veterans’ cemetery ownership, Trans-Canada Highway 11 designation, farmland protection in Clearview Township, security screening delays for permanent residence applicants, and inclusion of Grand Cache in the northern residents deduction. The Speaker delivered a ruling on a point of order concerning amendments to Bill C-8, an act respecting cybersecurity, finding that three Conservative amendments adopted at committee exceeded the scope of the bill and were therefore inadmissible. The House agreed to record two corrected votes from the previous sitting.