The Canadian federal government said it does not support adding provisions to criminalize residential-school denialism to Bill C-9 [1].
This decision impacts the current deliberations of the Senate’s Human Rights Committee. The outcome of these reviews will determine the final scope of the anti-hate legislation and whether specific forms of historical denialism are treated as criminal offenses.
Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice distributed a memo to senators on Wednesday, June 5 [1]. The communication clarifies the government's position as the Senate continues its examination of the bill [2].
According to the government, residential-school denialism falls outside the scope of hate-based offenses contemplated by Bill C-9 [1]. The legislation is designed to address hate crimes and hate-motivated activities, but the government said this specific form of denial does not fit within that framework [2].
The Senate's Human Rights Committee is currently reviewing the bill in Ottawa [1]. While some members have pushed for the inclusion of denialism to protect the dignity of survivors and Indigenous communities, the federal government said it remains opposed to expanding the bill's reach in this manner [2].
This stance ensures that Bill C-9 remains focused on its original objectives regarding hate-based offenses rather than expanding into the regulation of historical narratives [1].
“The federal government said it does not support adding provisions to criminalize residential-school denialism to Bill C-9.”
The government's refusal to include residential-school denialism in Bill C-9 suggests a legal preference for maintaining a strict definition of hate crimes. By excluding denialism, the government avoids the legal complexities of policing historical truth and speech, opting instead to focus the legislation on direct hate-motivated actions and threats.
