Carney Liberals push Bill C-16 that could criminalize normal family conversations

Mark Carney’s Liberal government wants to control everything. With Bill C-9, they seek to remove the religious exemption for prosecutable hate speech; MP Marc Miller specifically cited Bible passages as examples. With Bill C-16, they could open the door to criminalizing conversations between family members after the fact.

The new Bill C-16 (not the 2017 bill of the same name, which prohibited “hate speech” on the grounds of “gender identity and expression” and made Dr. Jordan Peterson famous) has been titled the “Protecting Victims Act,” and was introduced by the Liberals in the 45^th Parliament. It has not attracted much attention, but as MP Leslyn Lewis recently highlighted, it may have far-reaching effects.

Bill C-16 creates a new offense under Criminal Code Section 264.1 for patterns of “coercive or controlling conduct” in relationships but goes far beyond abuse and lists non-violent behaviors that are subject to after-the-fact interpretation. ---More...

Do you think the government should criminalize everyday interactions in your home with your family? If not, you should read Bill C-16.

The bill creates new offences (Criminal Code Section 264.01), which are deeply concerning for normal, loving family interactions, based on a… pic.twitter.com/wtFLVU4u91

— Dr. Leslyn Lewis (@LeslynLewis)January 28, 2026

Do you think the government should criminalize everyday interactions in your home with your family? If not, you should read Bill C-16.

The bill creates new offences (Criminal Code Section 264.01), which are deeply concerning for normal, loving family interactions, based on a “pattern of coercive or controlling conduct,” even when no violence, threats, or illegal acts occur.

It criminalizes a pattern of otherwise lawful and often common behaviour that may later be perceived as threatening by an intimate partner.

That means ordinary family interactions could be re-interpreted as criminal after the fact.

Examples include:

- Asking a spouse where they are after they said they’d be home

-Expressing concern about excessive drinking

-Disagreeing about finances or spending

-Asking a partner not to give children junk food

- Raising concerns about time away from family

- Setting household boundaries or expectations

These are not crimes. They are part of marriage, parenting, and shared responsibility.

This does not diminish the seriousness of coercive control in genuinely abusive relationships. But criminal law should target clear abuse and violence, which are already addressed in law.

Bill C-16, as written, opens the door to police intervention in the homes of ordinary families.