Banning Symbols of Hate Act

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (banning symbols of hate)

This bill was last introduced in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2021.

Sponsor

Peter Julian  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of June 17, 2021
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to broaden the provisions relating to hate propaganda by making it an offence to publicly display visual representations that promote or incite hatred or violence against an identifiable group.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Banning Symbols of Hate ActRoutine Proceedings

June 17th, 2021 / 10:20 a.m.
See context

NDP

Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-313, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (banning symbols of hate).

Mr. Speaker, my thanks are to Nick Milanovic, Isabelle D’Souza and Mark Rowlinson for their expert help on this bill. My thoughts today are with the Afzaal family, victims of a hate killing last week in London, Ontario. I thank the member for London—Fanshawe for seconding this bill.

We have seen, tragically, a marked increase in hate in our society: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogyny. We see racism against Black and indigenous people and rising anti-Asian racism, yet the symbols of hate are freely displayed and freely sold across our country.

It is time to ban these symbols of hate by amending our Criminal Code. This is what this important bill does. It makes it a criminal offence to display or sell reprehensible hate symbols, like the Nazi flag, freely sold in Canada, which is a disgusting symbol of genocidal hatred, anti-Semitism and racism. There should be no place for such flags and emblems representing hate in Canada. They should not be sold. They should not be displayed.

It is time to stop being soft on hate. I hope all MPs will support the bill, the banning symbols of hate act, for speedy passage.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)