Who introduced Bill C-9 and what party supported it?

1. Who tabled C-9 — a minister, not a backbencher

Bill C-9 was introduced to Parliament by the government’s justice minister, Sean Fraser, who presented it as the Combatting Hate Act and framed it as government legislation to create new Criminal Code offences and protections against hate-motivated conduct ^{[5] [1] [2]}. Parliamentary records and multiple news outlets identify Fraser as the bill’s sponsor and the public face of the measure ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

2. Which party “owns” the bill — Liberals proposed it

C-9 is a government bill advanced by the governing Liberal Party; the bill was introduced as part of the Liberals’ legislative agenda and described in government materials as a Liberal initiative to provide police and prosecutors new tools to counter rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia ^{[6] [1] [2]}. Civil-society voices and legal groups repeatedly refer to it as the Liberals’ anti-hate measure ^{[7] [6]}.

3. Why Bloc Québécois support matters — minority government dynamics

Because this Parliament is minority, the Liberals need other parties’ votes to pass C-9. Reporting shows the Bloc Québécois agreed to press an amendment — specifically to remove a religious exemption from hate-speech provisions — and that the Liberals signalled they would back that Bloc amendment, effectively making the Bloc’s support pivotal to the bill’s progress ^{[3] [5] [4]}. CBC reporting also describes political friction after Fraser’s office brokered a deal with the Bloc without clear PMO sign-off, underscoring how crucial external support is in this minority context ^[8].

4. What “support” has looked like — negotiated amendments, not unanimous backing

Support has not been unconditional endorsement across the House. The Liberals reportedly struck a deal with the Bloc to add the amendment removing the religious exemption; the Bloc introduced that amendment at committee and Liberals backed it to keep the bill advancing ^{[3] [5]}. Conservatives, by contrast, have argued the bill threatens free expression and oppose it; civil-liberties groups and other critics warn C-9 risks criminalizing peaceful protest and curbing Charter rights ^{[8] [6] [7]}.

5. Policy stakes that drive party positions

The bill’s core changes — a new statutory definition of “hatred,” new offences for intimidation or obstruction at religious/cultural sites, and crimes tied to public display of certain hate- or terrorism-related symbols — frame the parliamentary dispute ^{[9] [3] [6]}. Supporters, including the Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime, say C-9 fills gaps and helps victims; opponents, including civil-rights organizations, say it risks overbroad application and harm to lawful protest ^{[10] [7] [6]}.

6. Procedural friction and political fallout

Negotiations over the religious-exemption clause created internal and inter-party strains: CBC reports Fraser’s office brokered the Bloc deal without apparent PMO sign-off, leaving the bill’s future unclear and prompting committee delays and cancelled meetings ^{[8] [11]}. That procedural mess underscores how fragile minority-government legislation becomes when it relies on negotiated trade-offs with smaller parties ^{[8] [4]}.

7. Limitations of current reporting

Available sources do not mention any final parliamentary vote on C-9 or its ultimate fate; LegisInfo notes no recorded votes at the time of reporting ^[2]. Sources in this dossier focus on introduction, committee debate and amendments rather than final enactment or judicial review outcomes ^{[2] [12]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

Sean Fraser, as Justice Minister, introduced Bill C-9 on behalf of the Liberal government ^{[1] [5]}. The bill remains a Liberal initiative but has advanced only through negotiated support from the Bloc Québécois in committee — a deal that removed a religious exemption and illustrated the political trade-offs inherent to minority-parliament lawmaking ^{[3] [4] [8]}.