Madam Speaker, the member clearly did not listen to my speech. The issue is not the religious exemption itself. It is the legal threshold that prosecutors must look at when presented with a case: Is there a reasonable prospect of a conviction? Is it in the public interest? As I indicated, the words of that radical Islamist were disgusting, absolutely abhorrent, but they do not meet the threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. They have absolutely nothing to do with section 319. That was the heart of my speech.
If there is a lawyer within his caucus, perhaps that lawyer can do a little bit of research for the member, because the member needs to realize that for several decades that particular defence has been seldom used. It has had no success whatsoever, because of the existence of the current criminal provisions that deal with incitement to hatred.