Mr. Speaker, freedom of religion and freedom of expression are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In fact, when I was mayor of Côte Saint-Luc, I held a rally for religious freedom. I very much believe in religious freedom. There is nothing in the bill that would stop anyone from preaching, reciting, reading or doing anything that they are doing today. This defence has never been successfully used in Canadian history, and it is used only if someone is charged with wilfully promoting hate, which no good-faith religious person in this country should or would ever do.
In the House of Commons on March 10th, 2026. See this statement in context.