Increase penalties for arsonists targeting places of worship

Whereas places of worship are recognized as sacred spaces for many Canadians, and any attack on them is an attack on the values of religious freedom that we hold dear;

Whereas over the past decade, there has been a drastic increase in the number of places of worship (Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Temples, Gurdwaras, Mandirs, etc. being intentionally burned;

Whereas these heinous acts have been committed against 100 churches since 2020, and every act of arson is a direct attack on Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

And whereas religious institutions are pillars in their communities.

Burning them down is an act of hate that makes people feel unsafe and denies them the right to freely assemble and worship.

And whereas arsonists who only seek to target and burn places of worship should face the full force of the law.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on the Liberal government to protect places of worship from arson by supporting the Common Sense Conservative Anti-Arson Act to increase the maximum terms of imprisonment for arson-related offences and to modernize the language of the criminal code to ensure that the sentencing for arson directed against places of worship is more targeted.