NDP MP Leah Gazan has tabled a private member’s bill that would make residential school denialism a criminal offence in Canada. The legislation, seconded by NDP MP Jenny Kwan, would amend the Criminal Code to include the promotion of hatred through condoning, denying, downplaying, or justifying the Indian residential school system.
Gazan said the bill is dedicated to survivors and families who have lived through the trauma of the residential school system and continue to face harm through denial and hate. She described denialism as a form of incitement against Indigenous peoples that must be addressed through law.
This is not the first time Gazan has introduced such legislation, but she says growing anti-Indigenous sentiment and online disinformation make action more urgent than ever.
A 2024 national poll found that 57 per cent of Canadians support laws aimed at stopping residential school denialism. Gazan is calling on all Members of Parliament to back the bill and take a firm stand against hate.
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