This section contains information on Private Member's Bill C-380, previously known as Bill C-254, a Bill introduced by Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Etobicoke Centre) to amend the Criminal Code hate propaganda law to add women and girls to the protected groups.

The Bill gets a new number each time it is introduced in a Parliament following an election. There was much lobbying done on this issue while it was known as Bill C-254, so that number appears frequently in correspondence, petition material, etc. Following the last federal election, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj introduced the Bill again on May 6, 2009, and it was called Bill C-380.This Bill died when the May 2011 election was called, and it's unlikely that it will be re-introduced, given that the Conservatives now have a majority and would never pass it.

Currently, the hate propaganda law protects only a limited list of groups, being those identified by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin and sexual orientation, the latter having been added in 2003 under Private Member's Bill C-250, introduced by NDP MP Svend Robinson.  At the time Bill C-250 was going through the legislative process, politicians, including Mr. Robinson, refused to amend the Bill to extend protection to women and girls.

Fact sheet: Click here for a fact sheet on the issue

Click here to read the actual Bill

Bill C-254 - various items, news releases, etc.

Ontario's Violence in the Media Coalition (VMC) has adopted this issue as one of their legislative priorities. Click here for more information on the VMC.