(LifeSiteNews) – One of Canada’s newest pro-life Conservative MPs is holding a series of “emergency town halls” nationwide to raise awareness over concerns about a new bill before Parliament that affects religious rights.
The first event was held a few days ago in Cambridge, Ontario, with the most recent event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, garnering great support.
In MP Andrew Lawton’s meeting with faith leaders in Saskatoon earlier this week, he noted, “We will ensure politicians aren’t deciding what can be preached from the pulpit.”
“Saskatoon is standing up for religious freedom! Over 350 people came out for our town hall on Bill C-9 last night,” Lawton posted on X.
Lawton will also visit Newfoundland, British Columbia, Alberta, and other parts of Ontario.
In a recent video post on X, Lawton said that the current Liberal federal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Bill C-9, or the Combating Hate Act, is an “attack” on people of faith.
“We need to act now and raise the stakes so much that the Liberals realize they cannot get away with attacking people of faith and all people in Canada who care about religious freedom in this way,” he said.
“I’m going to be holding a series of emergency town halls and roundtables with faith leaders and all Canadians concerned about this across the country over the next two weeks, between now and when the House of Commons comes back.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews, the series of religious freedom town halls will culminate with an event on January 20 in Brampton, Ontario, hosted by multiple Conservative MPs.
“We’re doing a big rally and town hall in Brampton on January 20th. And the message is crystal clear. The Liberal and the Bloc Quebecois members have made a deal to pass Bill C-9 as is,” he said.
“The only way to stop this is by putting political pressure on the Liberals so they know that people in this country will not stand for their civil liberties be compromised in the interests of political expediency. I hope you’ll join me at one of these town halls across the country.”
Lawton noted that details of his events will be shared on his social media pages, saying, “We will never stop fighting for your civil liberties, for your religious freedom, and fighting for you.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Bill C-9 has been blasted by constitutional experts as allowing empowered police and the government to go after those it deems to have violated a person’s “feelings” in a “hateful” way. The bill was introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser last year.
The bill, if passed, could criminalize parts of the Bible, with Conservative MPs before warning it is a direct “attack” on religious freedom and would allow the “prosecution” of those who simply read certain passages of scripture in “good faith.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Carney’s Liberal government recently passed amendments to the bill removing a religious exception.
The amendments to Bill C-9 have been condemned by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who penned an open letter to the Carney Liberals, blasting the proposed amendment and calling for its removal.