A motion by a Conservative MP to study arson attacks and crimes against Christian churches and other religious places was shot down by Liberal MPs, who claimed that it is not warranted.
On October 29, during debate in a House of Commons Heritage Committee meeting, Conservative MP Andrew Lawton made a motion to “undertake a study of no fewer than eight meetings on vandalism, arson, shootings and other criminal attacks against places of worship in Canada.”
Lawton’s motion noted that since 2015, “police-reported hate crimes targeting religion have more than doubled, from 469 to 1,115 a year.”
He called on the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture to “appear on a panel of his own, without other witnesses, for no less than two hours, and invite the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Statistics Canada, police services and their hate crime units, and representatives of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and other faith communities, including congregations whose places of worship have been attacked, as well as any other witnesses the committee deems relevant,” to discuss the matter.
However, the committee chair, Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner, ruled the motion “inadmissible as it exceeded the mandate of the committee.”
When the question was asked, “Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?” all Liberal and other MPs except the Conservatives on the committee voted “yes.”
Lawton then brought forward another motion asking the committee recognize that “historic religious buildings and faith traditions are important parts” of Canadian society and must be protected and reported to the House for further debate.
This motion was voted down as well.
Conservative MPs for some time have urged Liberal MPs to back a bill that, if passed, would make church arsonists pay for the damages they cause, saying that it is needed, as “vandalizing places of worship is unacceptable.”
The Liberals thus far have refused to back the bill.
