That's a very good point. My opening statement didn't mention that it is our intention, further to a Conservative Party platform commitment, to come forward with a legislative package to streamline the removal, the deportation process, of convicted foreign criminals in Canada. We are working on that package. The Minister of Public Safety and I will be coming forward with amendments perhaps later this year to streamline the process.
The case you mentioned is a perfect reference point for this. The reason this fellow in Calgary, who is a Lebanese national, was able to victimize, I think, a third sexual assault victim in the past couple of weeks is that first of all in his initial conviction he received a sentence of 18 months, and IRPA says that a foreign national who receives a sentence of less than two years may appeal his inadmissibility to the immigration appeal division of the IRB. He goes to the IRB and that takes six to eight months. If he loses there at the IAD, he then seeks leave for judicial review of the negative IAD decision by the Federal Court, which takes another six to eight months.
So a convicted, even dangerous, foreign criminal can extend their stay in Canada for a couple of years by using what I would call a loophole, this redundant appeal. My view is that everyone, including foreign criminals, deserves their day in court. They don't deserve years in court in Canada. Too often the system is abused in order to prolong the stay in Canada of even convicted dangerous foreign criminals, which is why one of the things we're looking at doing is saying that if you're a foreign national convicted of a crime in Canada you don't get an IAD appeal on a negative admissibility finding. That's to streamline the process.
We're looking at other changes as well. I would refer you to a speech I gave at the law faculty of the University of Western Ontario about a year ago on the broader proposals for streamlining deportation of convicted foreign criminals from Canada.