Until the 1990s, provision was made in the act for people who were working for the Canadian government and who were posted abroad. If you were part of the military, if you were working as a diplomat, if you were working for a United Nations or other agency, you had the right to vote in Canadian elections. No other persons living abroad were entitled to vote.
In the early 1990s, I believe as a result of the recommendation of the Lortie commission and the introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the act was amended to allow citizens who are abroad for less than five years and are planning to come back to vote. I think the five years was brought in because there was a feeling there needed to be some connection and intention to return, and because it was an extension of a rule, that previously people had not been allowed to vote if they lived outside the country.
At this point in time there would be no problem that I see with removing either the five-year limitation or, if you wish, removing the requirement that they intend to return to Canada. It was just that in the early 1990s, because they were bringing in a new rule, a new provision, they built in those two requirements.