Conservative MP introduces bill to declare December ‘Christian Heritage Month’

Conservative MPs are introducing a private member’s bill to designate December as ‘Christian Heritage Month’.

Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu, who rides Sarnia-Lambton, introduced this as follows: Building C-369the Christian Heritage Month Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The bill was passed amid a Conservative Party petition campaign against a Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) document that said statutory holidays marking Christian religious dates were discriminatory.

“Canada is a country that celebrates all faiths,” Gladu told the House of Commons. “Creating Christian Heritage Month is just the right thing to do. [19.3] According to the last census, there were 1 million Christians in Canada. So what better month than December?”

Gladu pointed out that people of other faiths practice their own religions in Canada, including Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Jews. own traditional month.

Mr Gladu used his slot in the Commons lottery for a private member’s bill, Bill C-228, the pension protection bill. That means C-369 is unlikely to be called for debate or put on a vote.

Gladu’s comments form part of a political response to an incident. discussion paper In an October statement, the CHRC described the legal holiday marking Christian religious dates as “systemic religious discrimination.”

“Discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is rooted in Canada’s history of colonialism,” the newspaper said. “This history manifests itself in today’s systematic religious discrimination. A clear example is Canada’s statutory holidays.

“Statutory holidays associated with Christianity, such as Christmas and Easter, are the only legal holidays in Canada that are associated with religious holy days.”

The newspaper said recognizing Christian holidays was discriminatory because non-Christians must apply specifically to take time off for religious observances.

The 2021 census found that 53.3 per cent of Canadians identify as Christian, a number down from 77.1 per cent recorded in 2001. The number of people who reported no religious affiliation doubled from 16.5% in 2001 to 43.6% in 2021.

Between 2001 and 2021, the number of Muslims increased from 2.0 per cent to 4.9 per cent of Canada’s population, the number of Hindus increased from 1.0 per cent to 2.3 per cent, and the number of Sikhs increased from 0.9 per cent to 2.3 per cent. increased to. , according to the census.

“Is Christmas racist?”

Gladu’s bill echoes her party’s “Don’t Cancel Christmas!” movement.A campaign asking Canadians to: sign the petition He criticized the CHRC discussion paper.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet raised the issue in the House of Commons last week, asking a question that angered Speaker Greg Fergus.

“According to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, celebrating Christmas with trees, families, music and presents is systemic racism,” Blanchett said. “I think Santa Claus is racist. I think snow has become racist too. Is Christmas racist, according to the Prime Minister?”

When asked whether the prime minister’s question should be referred to “the government,” Blanchet said the CHRC was under the government’s jurisdiction and called on the prime minister to answer the question.

“I’m very happy to stand up and answer a completely ridiculous question,” Trudeau said.

“Clearly, Christmas is not racist. This is a country of diversity, a country where we not only celebrate our individual personal beliefs, but also share and celebrate the happenings of our neighboring countries.”

“Brock is always looking for ridiculous ways to pick a fight. I can’t get over it.”

After the exchange, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poièvre stood and wished everyone in the House of Commons a Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noël, to applause from party members.

Prime Minister Trudeau echoed Poièvre in saying the Conservative leader’s “climate denialism” would jeopardize future white Christmases. He declared that members on his side of the House of Commons were “pro-Christmas”.

Earlier this month, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, a former candidate for the federal Conservative Party leadership, posted a video on he declared.

Brown said in the video that his government strongly supports religious freedom and that Quebec’s Bill 21, which would ban various public servants in prestigious roles, including teachers, from wearing visible religious symbols, said: He said he was against it.

“We continue to unashamedly support religious freedom in the city of Brampton,” Brown said in the video, wishing Christians a happy month ahead.