Debate over the Liberals’ plan to fast-track their anti-hate bill got heated in the House on Tuesday, with the Conservatives accusing the government of using the legislation to “limit free speech.”

The main issue is an amendment moved by the Bloc Quebecois that would remove the exemption for religious beliefs when it comes to the crime of inciting hate.

The Liberals backed the amendment in an effort to push through Bill C-9, but the decision prompted the Conservatives to filibuster the legislation at committee. Despite having enough support to win votes, the Liberals held off, launching consultations with religious communities that may be concerned about the impact of the changes.

After weeks of debate, the Liberals last week gave notice of a motion to set a deadline for the bill’s progression in the House. If passed, it would require the House justice committee to complete clause-by-clause review of the bill at its next meeting, and then require the House to bring the bill to a vote at report stage and third reading in no more than one sitting day each.

The Liberals then moved to bring in closure on Monday, setting up a vote on Tuesday on whether to wrap up debate on the motion.

At its core, Bill C-9 creates new penalties to criminalize efforts to harass or obstruct access to places of worship, known as a bubble-zone law.

It comes directly from a campaign promise from the Liberals in the run-up to last year’s election, largely in response to concerns about anti-Israel protesters behaving aggressively towards Jewish residents and making chants glorifying violence against Jews.

In January, several Jewish groups made a joint call to urge parliamentarians to quickly pass the bill, as well as create a new offence for the wilful promotion of terrorism.

Conservative MP Roman Baber said Tuesday that the law wouldn’t do anything to address concerns around violence, calling it a “Trojan horse” that will be used to restrict free speech and accusing the Liberals of using the Jewish community as “props.”

He called on the government to deport Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps agents in Canada, task the RCMP integrated national security enforcement team with responding to threats to the Jewish community and put “political pressure on mayors and police to stop the Jew hatred on our streets that is already criminal.”

Secretary of State for Combatting Crime Ruby Sahota said Baber was looking for empty gestures when the Jewish community was asking for concrete actions.

“It seems like the member is saying, do something now, but don’t do anything. Don’t put this bill forward. We don’t want tweets, but yet just pressure the mayors. So therefore just tweet,” she said.

“It’s a very contradictory type of message without a law to stop hate and terrorism and symbols of hate in our communities.”

Baber countered that he was proposing “three concrete solutions” to deal with rising hatred towards Jewish-Canadians.

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux said these proposals were largely provincial matters and questioned why Baber was unable to do anything about this while serving in Queen’s Park as a member of the governing PCs.

“The member was a part of the Doug Ford government at one point, and the Doug Ford government would have had the opportunity to be able to do some of the things that he’s advocating here,” said Lamoureux, who serves as the parliamentary secretary for the government House leader.

“Can the member give a clear indication why it is he was so ineffective in terms of getting the Doug Ford government to take some of the actions he’s telling this government to do? I find his assertions to be absolutely ridiculous at the time in which we have communities across the country looking at initiatives such as this that will make a difference.”

Baber said he had “articulated a sensible legal argument in response to this legislation” and was proud of his time in provincial politics with the Ford government.

Baber was removed from the Ontario PC caucus in January 2021 for writing an open letter calling for an end to the province’s lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions.

He won election to the House of Commons in last spring’s vote.