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C-245 — An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec)
Every bill summarized in plain language. Not clear enough? Ask for an explanation.
C-245
An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec)
BQ
Defeated
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BILL C-245
An Act to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec)
Last activity : Bill defeated
BQ
Defeated
Commons · 1st2025-09-23Commons · 2ndCommons · 3rdSenate · 1stSenate · 2ndSenate · 3rdRoyal assent
Sign-in required — one request per person, no anonymous requests
What it does, in plain language
- Amends the Canadian Multiculturalism Act so that it does not apply in Quebec.
- Adds a new section 2.1, headed "Exemption", setting out that non-application.
- Backs the change with a preamble stating that Quebecers form a nation.
- States in that preamble that Quebec has the tools it needs to define its identity and protect its common values.
- Lists those values as protection of the French language, separation of state and religion, and gender equality.
- Is a private member's bill, introduced by Mr. Barsalou-Duval.
- Received first reading in the House of Commons on September 23, 2025.
- Sets no specific coming-into-force date and makes no other changes to the Act.
🤖 AI-generated from the bill’s official text as introduced — may not reflect amendments adopted since.
✋ What does “challenging” mean?
Clicking “Ask for an explanation” is a citizen request for the bill's sponsor to explain it in plain language — and for us to keep an eye on it together.
An account (email) is required — one request per person, no anonymous requests. 🔥 At 1,000 requests on the same bill, a public post is made, in the hope an MP agrees to sponsor a petition to the House.
It works on any bill, including one that has already received royal assent — that is often the one people want to understand.
Votes in the Commons
Every recorded vote — who voted what, and by what margin.
On the “who voted what” detail — the House of Commons publishes each member's name for every recorded (nominal) vote (Yea / Nay / paired). The by-member breakdown above (the "+" button on each row) comes directly from that official source (ourcommons.ca), not an estimate. The party shown next to each name is taken from the current House roster; people who have since left the House appear separately under "Former members".
How to read a vote
Recorded vote
Members vote one by one and each choice is entered in the public record. That is what lets us say exactly who voted what — no interpretation.
Passed is not law
A passed vote clears ONE stage. A bill must pass both chambers and then receive royal assent before it becomes law.
Paired is not absent
In the Commons, two members from opposing sides can agree not to vote: their voices cancel out. It is neither an absence nor an abstention.
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Hi! My name is
Martin Archambault
I'm 45, and dossiercanada.ca is your first step into democracy!
If we want people to understand politics, it has to be brought down to their level.
When I first tried to take an interest in it, on top of not knowing the jargon, bills came as two lines… and fifty PDFs. Most people would simply walk away.
So I had an idea: use artificial intelligence first to read through all of it, then to put it in plain words. That's how DossierCanada was born.
Alongside the AI recap, I've given people a lexicon that explains the basics of political jargon. Plain-language law exists — think of this as its equivalent for politics!
Parliament glossary
Parliamentary jargon, translated into everyday language.
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