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Liberals agree to hit pause on hate crimes bill and prioritize tougher bail bill
OTTAWA — The Liberal government has agreed to prioritize the passage of its bail legislation by hitting pause on getting its hate crime bill through the legislative process.
The justice committee passed a motion Monday to stop the clause-by-clause study on the hate crime bill, C-9, in order to focus on the bail bill, C-14.
It’s a move the Conservative Party has been pushing for, following an agreement between the Liberals and Bloc Québécois to amend Bill C-9.
That amendment would remove a religious exemption on hate speech from the Criminal Code.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the amendment an assault on freedom of expression and religion.
Among other measures, Bill C-9 would create new crimes of obstruction and intimidation to protect places of worship, while Bill C-14 would make bail more difficult for a variety of crimes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.
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