Evidence of meeting #24 for Finance in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crtc.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
There's the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which is a very important event. I don't think anyone will campaign against that.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
No, but it's also the Competition Bureau's role to ask these questions, and it's under your jurisdiction.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
Then there's the Osheaga festival. I think these things are important. I understand the premise of your question, and I'm not debating you on that.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Once again, I'm not saying that you haven't done anything and that you should have taken action before today. It's just an issue that concerns me. As an economist and culture lover, it concerns me. I was curious to know if anything was happening over at the Department of Industry. Since you are relatively new to your position, at least this time around, I thought it would be interesting to ask you that question.
If you could keep us informed of any developments on that front, I think the committee would appreciate that.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
As someone who's interested in artists, it worries me, too.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Thank you, Mr. Garon.
Apologies, Minister, but we've run out of time for your response.
We're going to continue with Mr. Lawton for five minutes.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Thank you.
Minister, you are the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture. Do you believe that religion is an integral part of Canadian culture and identity?
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
You obviously know where this is going. On October 30, when you were the chair of the justice committee, you spoke about how there is “clear hatred” in some verses of the Bible and the Torah, and you said prosecutors should be able to have the discretion to lay charges if someone invokes a particular scripture that you find objectionable.
How are you standing up for the various diverse communities, and faith communities in particular, that you extolled in your opening statement when you believe that sincerely held religious beliefs should attract prosecution?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
I believe anyone should be able to freely read the Bible, Torah, Quran or any religious scripture. It's a guarantee in the charter that I will defend as well as you will—
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Unless it's a verse that you don't like.
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Kent MacDonald Liberal Cardigan, PE
This line of questioning has nothing to do with the budget or the BIA.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
It stems from comments made in his opening statement, Madam Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Excuse me. I didn't recognize you, Mr. Lawton.
Mr. MacDonald, it's not a point of order. Thank you very much.
Mr. Lawton, you can continue to have the floor, but I would ask that you be recognized before you take it. Thank you.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
I don't think religious scripture should be used as a defence for a hate crime. If someone publicly says they want to kill all the gays, and they are relying on a passage in Leviticus, they should be prosecuted, hard stop—and I'm a Christian. I firmly believe that person should be prosecuted.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
That would not be a good-faith usage of scripture.
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
That's your debate, but sometimes prosecutors may be prevented from laying charges because there's some hesitation. I think it needs to be clear in the law, and I think you would agree with it, and any reasonable person would as well.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
You said, back in December, “I think if you talk to people of faith and even religious leaders, they would see that this is really something that makes sense”, with regard to removing those religious speech protections from the Criminal Code.
I have spoken to people of faith and religious leaders, and Bill C-9 and the removal of the religious defence have been denounced by the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada, the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Rabbinical Council of Toronto, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
Why do you believe you know more than these faith groups about religious freedom and protections for religion in Canada?
Liberal
Marc Miller Liberal Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC
As a Protestant, I rely on my relationship with Jesus and my reading of the Bible. I believe ministers can be guides, so I think I stand on an equal footing. I think you would agree with me on that.
If you really want to protect religious institutions, you will talk to Pierre Poilievre, Parliament's only temporary foreign worker, and have him pass Bill C-9 to protect religious institutions.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
The government has signalled that the online harms act, which has been twice tabled and twice not passed, will be returning. This is a bill that would, among other things—as in its previous incarnations—reinstitute section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which allows for the human rights code to go after what the government deems online hate speech.
Will that be part of the forthcoming online harms act?
Liberal
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
I'm not asking for your opinion. I'm asking for your insight as the minister.