OTTAWA -- The federal Tories are accusing the Trudeau government of playing politics by stripping specific religious references from its annual report on terrorism.
Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus suggests to the House of Commons national security committee that the Liberals bowed to pressure tactics simply to avoid insulting anyone.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the government removed the terms "Sikh," "Sunni" and "Shia" from the report when referring to extremism to avoid conveying the impression that an entire religion or community is a threat to national security.
He tells the committee it is not a partisan issue but rather an effort to be accurate, precise and fair in conveying information about terrorist threats.
Goodale denies the changes will undermine the fight against extremism, saying Canadian security officials need the support and co-operation of different communities to do their work.
Liberal and New Democrat MPs on the committee are welcoming the wording changes.
