Anthony Housefather
Mount Royal, Quebec · Liberal · Canada
“It makes it clear that a person cannot obstruct people from entering or leaving the building, which is what happened that night in March 2024. At the time, I called for this change to the criminal law.”
“However, the police failed to arrest people. They failed to stop what was a demonstration that descended into illegality. They said at the time that they did not have clear enough instructions or clear enough rules related to when a demonstration outside of a community centre, a school, a temple, a church or a synagogue has crossed the li…”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton . [ English ] The combatting hate act has been before this House for nine months. During those nine months, we have had extensive debate in this place, in the other place and at committee. This bill is important.”
“Yes, there was dissent, but the dissent was not on the vast majority of issues, including the intimidation and obstruction offence. However, that has not stopped what the Prime Minister called the “crisis of anti-Semitism” that has overwhelmed the western world, including Canada, where over 70% of religious-based hate offences are against…”
“Mr. Speaker, the organizations that speak for the organized Jewish communities, all of them, support the bill, whether it is CIJA, B'nai Brith, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, the numerous groups that Mark Sandler has assembled in Toronto or the Canadian Women Against Antisemitism.”
“We also inserted a provision for greater clarity, to make clear that this is not the case, but we should not have had to do that, because it is obvious that this is not the case. People will not be charged because they read, quote or preach the Bible, the Quran, the Torah or any other holy book. This is entirely made up.”
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“I will read the words of Joseph Neuberger, who is a criminal lawyer with Neuberger and Partners LLP, the chair of the Canadian Jewish Law Association and also a Conservative Party supporter, as he declares in this article. He says: Bill C-9 doesn't threaten religious freedom. It draws a necessary line. Bill C-9 does not regulate belief, worship, sermons or religious teaching. It does not criminalize disagreement or political debate. Claims that Bill C-9 , The Combatting Hate Act, threatens religious freedoms in Canada are false. They are not supported by the bill itself, by the Constitution, or by decades of court decisions. More than that, the claim that Bill C-9 undermines religious freedom is not a matter of interpretation or reasonable disagreement—it is misinformation.”
“There was a commitment made by everybody to a non-partisan approach to tackling the horrible anti-Semitism being faced by Canadian Jews today. Every Canadian has a right to feel safe and be safe in Canada, and that includes the Jewish community. I was hoping, and I very much had hoped, that type of press conference would convince my colleagues across the aisle to support the bill. This bill is the number one thing that has been asked for by the Jewish community in order to confront anti-Semitism. It has all of the elements there, so it is a bit disappointing today to hear that my colleagues across the aisle are still not prepared to support the bill. I want to say that the arguments they are making about religious freedom are not correct.”
“As a result of those recommendations, Jewish organizations across the country, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, B'nai Brith Canada, Canadian Women Against Antisemitism and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, have put out joint statements calling on the House and members of Parliament to work together to pass this bill. I would also note that the issue is even more pressing, given the situation last weekend with the three shootings at synagogues in Toronto. There was a press conference on Sunday that was attended by representatives of both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, as well as members of the Ontario government, the Toronto city government and police forces of different jurisdictions.”
“Recommendation 16 is “That the Government of Canada take steps to ban the display of symbols of terrorist organizations that are listed under the Criminal Code.” That is in the bill. Recommendation 17 is “That the Government of Canada work with police forces across the country to develop a standardized definition of 'hate crime'”. That standardized definition of hate is in the bill, and we have agreed with our colleagues in both other parties to amend the bill to ensure that the definition is in line with Keegstra.”
“[ English ] Recommendation 10 is “That the federal Parliament consider creating a new intimidation offence under the Criminal Code to more clearly and directly protect entrance to and exit from community buildings such as schools, places of worship and community centers, in addition to existing offences that may apply in situations where such buildings are being blocked.” Recommendation 15 is “That the Government of Canada consider removing the requirement to obtain the consent of the provincial Attorney General in order to prosecute certain hate crimes.” At the committee, we have agreed to drop that, but that was in the bill, and it was recommended by the committee.”
“We studied anti-Semitism in Canada to figure out what we should do to improve our laws and prevent hatred in our country. We made recommendations. I will read four of the committee's recommendations, which are in Bill C‑9 .”
“When people say “globalize the intifada”, which is a call by Hamas to call for the destruction of the Jewish people, not only in Israel but across the world, that is not okay. We got to this place in a way that was really, really bad. We saw hate in this country going way up, against Jews but against other groups as well. We have had shootings at a mosque in Quebec City. We have had a couple of Muslims killed in London, Ontario. We have had Christian churches burned across this country. We have had protests, unfair ones, outside of gurdwaras and temples. This law is meant to protect. (1305) [ Translation ] Last year, witnesses appeared before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. One of the committee members is the MP for Rivière‑du‑Nord . Conservative Party MPs were there too.”
“It is a fact that this group has had people standing outside its community centres, its schools and its synagogues, yelling vile chants, blaming the people in the building for what is happening across the world and telling the people in the building they should go back to Poland, when many of us have been in this country for six and seven generations or more. We have been here since the beginning of this country. We are as Canadian as anyone else, and the idea that we should be told to go back to somewhere else is beyond belief and beyond any reasonable comment. Therefore, when we hear outside of our synagogues and schools chants that call for our destruction and call for our demise, that is not okay.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Burnaby Central . I am very pleased to address the House today with respect to the combatting hate act , which is a law that would protect all Canadians better. However, we need to talk about how we got to the combatting hate act. As a member of the Jewish community of Canada, I would have to start with the fact that since October 7, 2023, the Jewish community of Canada has faced an increasing barrage of hate. It goes up and it goes down, but the fact is that one group that represents 1.2% of the Canadian population faces 70% of religion-based hate crimes. It is a fact that this group has had its synagogues shot at three times in the last week. It is a fact that this group has had schools shot at.”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member focused a great deal on a defence that has never once successfully been used in the history of Canada, and she talked about the monumental change this would make to the criminal law when, again, it is a defence that has never once been successfully used. The only people who could avail themselves of this defence are those who are charged with wilfully promoting hate, which is the very high standard the Supreme Court set in the Keegstra decision. Could the hon. member elucidate for the House with an exact example of where the defence could properly and successfully be used? Give me an example of somebody who is charged who you think should be able to use this defence, and how it would be used.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have heard in response to the Minister of Justice's comments, multiple times, that we should enforce the existing law. Enforcing the existing law is one thing; sending a message to police about what the House of Commons believes we should be doing about hate crimes and adding additional offences is another. My questions are, one, does the minister have the power to tell the Toronto police, the Montreal police or any other municipal police in this country to enforce the law in the way that the minister intends them to enforce it? In other words, do they have to listen to him? Two, would the House of Commons and the Parliament of Canada not be giving a very clear message to the police if we were to adopt the combatting hate act ?”
“The petition asks for us not only to educate Canadians as to this and for the government to devote money to education but also to install proper commemorative plaques at all the nine different sites where Jewish refugees were interned for up to three years, and to do outreach programs to high schools, etc. At a time of rising anti-Semitism, this is a very important initiative, and I will work with them to do this.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present in the House today a petition signed by 1,058 Canadians, related to a very sad chapter in Canadian history. Members will remember that about eight years ago, our former prime minister Justin Trudeau rose in the House to apologize for the treatment of Jewish refugees in the Second World War, including the refusal for the MS St. Louis to dock in Canada, sending 900 Jews back into Nazi-occupied Europe. They were fortunately given refuge, but with the start of the Second World War, many of them were actually killed. The petition relates to Jewish refugees who were sent here from the U.K. who were actually interned, some of them alongside Nazis, for up to three years during the war.”
“Mr. Chair, Jewish organizations across the country have said that we need to adopt the combatting hate act. To me, that is the first thing this House of Commons needs to do in order to protect not only the Jewish community and its institutions, but all communities and their institutions. The combatting hate act's main provisions were part of the justice committee's recommendations in our anti-Semitism report tabled in December 2024. That, to me, is the number one priority. The second priority is that the security infrastructure program needs to have more money, and we need to make sure that it rolls out much more quickly. I think the minister today made some good points on that.”
“Mr. Chair, I am not going to speak for others. I can say that I made a speech in which I stated my position very clearly. My position is that the Iranian regime is a danger to Canadians, that it should never obtain nuclear weapons and that we must ensure that Canadians in the Middle East return to Canada. We must ensure that Canadians are safe and secure, particularly Canadians of Iranian origin and Canadians of Jewish origin, who are most at risk today.”
“Mr. Chair, as the hon. member well knows, this is not question period. I am not here speaking on behalf of the government, but I am here speaking on behalf of myself. I heard the Minister of Public Safety today, during question period, making very clear that Canada wants to expel anybody who should be expelled from this country, which includes the people who are high-level officers in the IRGC, and that he is going to take every single action to keep Canadians safe. I thought he said it very well.”
“Paul's , who is sitting next to me, was there. I know one of the synagogues was in the riding of my colleague from Eglinton—Lawrence , and he would have wanted to be there. This cannot continue. Everyone stood there and said that governments at all levels, the federal government, the provincial government and the municipal government; police at all levels, the municipal police that have jurisdiction, the OPP and the RCMP, and everyone else needs to protect Jewish Canadians. I would add that everyone needs to protect Iranian Canadians and everyone needs to protect all Canadians. That has to be our number one priority as a country.”
“The Iranian community in my riding has made it very clear to me, and Iranian Canadians I have spoken to across the country have made it very clear to me that they want the regime gone and they support actions to get rid of the regime. Of course, as the member for Thornhill said, the Iranian people need to choose the next leadership of Iran. However, that does not mean that the regime is one that anyone wants to remain in power. They are dangerous to their own people, they are dangerous to the world and, especially, they are dangerous to Canadians, which is our primary priority. Over the last week, we have continued a successive wave of anti-Semitic incidents in Canada that started on October 7 and has never ended. Three synagogues were shot at in Toronto, and everyone stood there. My colleague from Toronto—St.”
“Not only were they responsible for the bombing of the AMIA, which killed 85 people and wounded 300, but they were also responsible for the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina in 1992. That is not all. Recently, Australia discovered that the Iranian regime was responsible for the firebombing and fire that took place at a synagogue in Sydney. This weekend, our British allies in the U.K. arrested four spies of the Iranian regime. They were in the U.K. and are now alleged to have been spying on the Jewish community in the U.K., putting them in danger. This is unacceptable behaviour for any regime. If anyone bemoans that the regime will not have nuclear bombs, I do not know what they are thinking. If anyone wants the regime to stay in power, I do not know what they are thinking.”
“The second is to protect Iranian Canadians, Jewish Canadians and all Canadians from the regime. We need to make sure that people in Canada are safe. We have already seen the regime take actions within our country that have put Canadians in danger. Iranian Canadians have the right to live in Canada not in fear of the regime. Jewish Canadians have the right to live in Canada not in fear of their synagogues being shot at because of the regime hiring gangs in Canada. To me, that is a baseline requirement. What has the Iranian regime done worldwide? In July 2024, I was in Argentina. I was in Argentina for the 30th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in Argentinian history: the bombing of the AMIA, the Jewish community offices in Argentina. The Argentinian judicial system found that those responsible were part of the Iranian regime.”
“The Iranian regime not only massacres its own citizens and destroys the rights of Iranians in Iran, but foments terrorism across the Middle East and across the world and kills people in other countries for terrorist purposes. The regime can be distinguished from literally every other regime in the world, and the danger of the regime acquiring nuclear weapons is differentiated from any other regime in the world. Question number four is this: What should Canada do as a result? We are not involved in the conflict. Our troops are not there. What are our baseline requirements? To me, our baseline requirements are twofold. The first is to bring home Canadian citizens and permanent residents from the Middle East. For whoever wants to come home, we need to help them get home.”
“Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Willowdale . First of all, I would say that this debate tonight, for me, boils down to four simple questions. Question number one is this: Is Canada safer if Iran is denied the opportunity to possess nuclear weapons? To me, the answer is a very clear yes. Question number two is this: Is Canada better off, are Canadians better off, is the world better off and are the Iranian people better off if this regime disappears? The answer is yes. Question number three is this: Is there some kind of horrible precedent being created internationally that is bad for Canada as a result of the action to stop the Iranian regime from getting nuclear weapons? My answer to that is no, and I will explain why.”
“Madam Chair, there is a rogue regime that promotes terrorism abroad, threatens communities across the world, is on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon and has an ally in the Security Council that would veto any action the United Nations would take against it. Is the hon. member saying that the world should then do absolutely nothing and allow that country to get a nuclear weapon and destroy the world?”
“Madam Speaker, as always, my colleague gave a very interesting speech. The last part, part (d) of the motion, calls for the repeal of Bill C-75 , which would essentially put the criminal law back to the state it was in before Bill C-75. Bill C-75 did a number of important things, one of which was to repeal the bawdy house laws and vagrancy laws that led to the mass jailing of gay men in Toronto and Montreal. Would the member explain to us why the entire Bill C-75 should be repealed, as opposed to only the part on extortion?”
“Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, I was in New York when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. I saw the bravery and solidarity and shared the anguish first-hand. As a Canadian, I was incredibly proud of how we rose to the occasion to support our closest friend and ally. From the hospitality showed by the people of Gander to fundraising campaigns to support the victims, to our government being the first one to suggest that NATO invoke article 5, we were there for the United States. As we have for generations, our troops bravely fought side by side with Americans in Afghanistan. More than 40,000 Canadians served in the conflict; 158 of our soldiers died, and over 2,000 were injured. I know members of this place will want to join me in extending our deepest respect and gratitude to the men and women who served.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to present petition e-6903, which has been signed by 2,275 people. [ English ] The petitioners are asking for faster processing times for humanitarian and compassionate applications. They want to see a transparent action plan to address the backlog and ensure reasonable decision timelines and they are asking the Minister of Immigration and the House to consider that.”
“[ Translation ] This would be disastrous for patients in my riding and across Quebec. I call on the Quebec government to amend Bill 2.”
“Mr. Speaker, Quebec's National Assembly adopted Bill 2 last month. [ English ] On November 9, 20 clinics in my riding and nearby warned that they may need to close their doors as a direct result of Bill 2. [ Translation ] Government funding and the salaries of the doctors who finance these public clinics will decrease significantly. Meanwhile, these clinics will be forced to see more patients more quickly, with fewer resources and longer hours. [ English ] These clinics care for over 415,000 people in the west end of Montreal. They offered more than one million appointments last year. They employ almost 400 doctors. Six to eight weeks from now, many of these clinics may close, not because of choice but because of Bill 2. If the law forces them to close, their patients will have no choice but to go to already overcrowded emergency rooms.”
“Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern about wildfires that are caused by climate change. This is a first step. It is a good first step. I want to continue to work with her and other members to continue to support the provinces in their fight against wildfires.”
“Mr. Speaker, my businesses have also reacted very well to the tax credits and the tax breaks that are being given in the budget. I believe my population has also reacted well to the general tax cut that was given to all Canadians in the very first law the House passed in the spring.”
“Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that the health care system in Quebec, and in several other provinces, is very fragile. Federal government investments are very important. However, the questions I am hearing from the doctors in my community concern Quebec's Bill 2 and the problems it will cause, including the closure of family medicine clinics in almost every region of Quebec. In my riding, 20 clinics have sent me letters saying that they may have to close their doors because of the changes resulting from Bill 2. I therefore hope that the Quebec government will amend Bill 2 to ensure the survival of Quebec's health care system.”
“Mr. Speaker, the budget talks about jobs for all Canadians. We care about people who work in sawmills, and we care about people who work in every industry. That is why this budget builds jobs and gives money to those industries that need it the most and are impacted by the U.S. tariffs. The budget also deals with climate change, and we deal with emergency management. I do not agree with the way the member expressed what happened in Jasper. That is not what any of the reports related to Jasper said, but we do know that we need to be a good partner with provinces and territories to make sure we are resilient when it comes to the natural disasters that come from climate change, and that is what we are doing.”
“colleagues across the House, from all parties, have discussed the impact of climate change in their communities. In fact, they have called on the government to step up capacity and play a larger role in emergency management. With this budget, that is exactly what we are doing. Budget 2025 is our plan to take control and build the future we want for ourselves, as a people and as a country. It is our plan to build Canada strong.”
“It is the cost of rebuilding homes and businesses that took generations to build. It is the psychological toll on families that lose their cherished memories and their sense of security. It is the billions in insured and uninsured damages that put immense strain on our economy and our social safety net. (1550) [ Translation ] Every dollar we choose not to spend today on climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and infrastructure resilience will result in exponential recovery costs tomorrow. This is not a matter of political ideology; it is a matter of financial responsibility and public safety. [ English ] The path ahead requires bold action and investment, yes, but let us be clear that it is an investment in the safety of our children to strengthen our economy and the enduring success of our country. I know many of my hon.”
“This civilian response capacity reduces the strain on the Canadian Armed Forces and allows for more tailored community-based responses. I am particularly excited that budget 2025 creates a youth climate corps that will provide paid skills training for young Canadians. They will be trained to quickly respond to climate emergencies, support recovery and strengthen resilience in communities across the country. This initiative will support reducing youth unemployment, will increase innovation and will strengthen adaptation and mitigation projects. With the investments we are making in budget 2025, we will be able to build further on these efforts to make a real difference in Canadians' lives. When a wildfire rages through a town, the cost is not just the price of the fire trucks and the water bombers.”
“One of our pivotal accomplishments has been the modernization of our financial assistance mechanisms. We recognize that recovery costs from large-scale disasters are a substantial burden on provinces and territories, and that is why we revamped the disaster financial assistance arrangements. [ Translation ] In April, we launched a modernized program designed not only to accelerate and improve funding, but also to encourage proactive risk-reduction efforts across all levels of government to build back better. [ English ] Collaboration has been a cornerstone of our success. Through the humanitarian workforce program, we have funded and built capacity within non-governmental organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, which enables them to deploy resources quickly in response to large-scale emergencies.”
“These numbers represent the lived experience of thousands of people, including families forced to leave their home, communities rallying together and responders working tirelessly to protect lives and property. I want to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the first responders, volunteers and local leaders who work tirelessly and demonstrate immense bravery to help keep Canadians safe. While provinces and territories manage on-the-ground firefighting, the increasing scale and frequency of wildfires have made this a national issue that deserves a national response. To boost Canada's aerial firefighting capacity, budget 2025 will provide $257.6 million to lease water bombers. This will make the federal government an even stronger partner in emergency response and builds on our other accomplishments to date.”
“[ Translation ] The year is drawing to a close. The 2025 wildfire season has been the second-worst in Canadian history. One thing has become clear: The impacts of wildfires are growing and we need to be better prepared for them. Our government responded to 17 requests for assistance throughout this wildfire season. That is a significant number. Although the active season is over, some regions are still fighting forest fires. [ English ] Here are some numbers. There were more than 6,000 wildfires in nearly every province and territory, impacting communities across the country and burning over 8.3 million hectares. Since April, the heightened risk and impacts have forced evacuations of more than 85,000 people, including over 45,000 people from 73 first nations communities.”
“[ English ] The budget proposes an investment of over $55.4 million over four years, $13.4 million a year on a continual basis, to renew the national public alerting system. This investment ensures that this critical tool remains active in keeping Canadians safe. An updated alert system responds to recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission, which examined the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. It recommended transformative change to better prevent and respond to critical incidents and mass casualty events in the future, to help make Canadian communities safer. The renewal of the national public alerting system will ensure Canadians continue to receive amber alerts and warnings of imminent natural disasters, extreme weather events and security threats so they can take action to protect themselves and their communities.”
“Our government recognizes that our work does not stop once the flames are out or the flood waters recede. Emergency management continues long after any disaster occurs. It also begins long before any disaster happens, with smart planning and investments. Emergency management and community resilience are a priority for this government. That is why budget 2025 contains several proposals that will further enhance our country's emergency preparedness and response. (1545) [ Translation ] The national public alerting system saves lives. It warns the public about natural disasters, which saves precious time and plays a key role. It also warns about child abductions through Amber alerts and helps keep children safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today in support of budget 2025. We are building Canada strong. This is a plan that would protect our communities, empower Canadians with better careers and make life more affordable. We are creating an economy by Canadians for Canadians. [ Translation ] Our government is cutting spending, building more and honouring our commitments, because that is how we are investing in Canada's future. Our government is focused on strengthening Canada's economic resilience. Today, however, I want to talk about a different kind of resilience, one that keeps our communities safe and ready to take on the challenges of a changing world. [ English ] As we all know, the nature of emergencies is changing. Extreme weather events are more frequent and more severe.”
“Madam Speaker, let me reiterate that our top priority is keeping our roads and drivers safe. Budget 2025 includes important measures to ensure roadway safety. The two opposition parties have a choice. Will they vote in favour of a budget that advances the cause of trucker safety? I hope so.”
“Madam Speaker, our top priority is keeping our roads and drivers safe. The minister made an honest mistake, but budget 2025 includes funding for a targeted $77-million program to address the issue of non-compliance related to contractor services and service fees. The Bloc Québécois can vote for that and for the budget, thereby preventing a Christmas election. Will the Bloc do so?”
“There have been firebombs, people assaulted and Jewish students targeted on campus. This must end now. Let us stand with Canada's Jewish community and affirm that hate has no place in this country.”
“Mr. Speaker, today, I want to welcome the Jewish community leaders from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish Federations of Canada, who are here on Parliament Hill for their annual advocacy day. They come at a time when Canada's Jewish community is facing an alarming rise in anti-Semitism. Though Jewish Canadians make up just 1.2% of the population, we make up 70% of all religious-based hate crimes in this country. In 2024 alone, police reported over 900 such incidents, the highest number on record. Across Canada, synagogues, schools and community centres have had to assume extraordinary security responsibilities, spending more than $40 million each year to keep their members safe. These leaders are here to call on all of us, regardless of party, to confront anti-Semitism with the seriousness it deserves.”
“On this anniversary, let us remember that this war was started by Hamas terrorists who have brought nothing but misery to Israelis and Palestinians. Let us pray for those murdered and their families, for the immediate release of hostages and for a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.”
“Mr. Speaker, Alex Look was a force of nature. He embodied love, generosity and courage. He was Raquel and Alain's son and Kayla's brother. He had friends and family who loved him. He grew up in Montreal but was also a man of the world who spoke seven languages and ran an international business. He was the life of any room. Alex was also a proud Jew. On October 7, 2023, he was vacationing in Israel attending a music festival, when dozens of armed Hamas terrorists attacked. He calmed people down and stood at the door of a shelter blocking the terrorists. He died a hero, saving the lives of others. He was one of the eight Canadians and 1,200 people murdered that day, when 251 people were taken hostage, some of whom are still in tunnels under Gaza.”
“Mr. Speaker, I fully agree with my colleague. Even if the notwithstanding clause is used legitimately, it is very important, if a right is violated in a way that is not reasonable in a free and democratic society, that a court is able to advise the people in this respect. As we explained in the factum, it is very important for the court to study the manner in which this was done in order to rule on whether a right has been not only violated for a period of five years, but violated in a permanent and unacceptable manner.”
“Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question in there, but let me just say, again, that I think it is really important. I appreciate the substantive question I am sure my colleague was coming to. The government's factum does not contest the ability of a province or the federal Parliament to use the notwithstanding clause, although personally, my position has always been that we should not do so. The factum sets up three specific arguments, which I illustrated. I think they are very important, and we have made them.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his kind words. I also want to wish the entire Jewish community in Canada a Shana Tova . When a factum is put before a court, it is a message to the judges. It is not meant for the public, and it is not about politics. The matter before the court is whether limitations on section 33 that are not procedural in nature are permissible. Examples are given to illustrate that there are things that can be done in legislation. These things are enormously problematic if invoked permanently, so section 33 should never be allowed to be used on a permanent basis. No one should have the right to use section 33 because it infringes on rights in a way that changes the Constitution, so it should not be used if that is not the intention. We are not saying that the government plans to do that.”