We had a couple of witnesses here on previous dates, Martin Collacott and James Bissett, and both expressed their support for the new residency requirement. I thought I heard you echo that. In fact, both of them would have preferred it to go to five years rather than four years. That was certainly the system my parents were under.
They pointed out, of course, that amongst our peer countries Canada is still the most generous. In some European states, for example, there is an eight- or nine-year requirement.
Mr. Collacott made the point that he thinks newcomers will value their citizenship more if they know that it is not something they're going to acquire quickly or cheaply and that they have to meet certain standards. That's something I believe: that once you're a citizen, there are duties and responsibilities that you're not exempt from.
In your experience, what would you estimate that it normally takes—how many years—for newcomers to adapt to Canada? Would you say that more than three years gives them enough time to understand our society and learn our values and our laws and so forth? About 45% of permanent residents right now actually wait about four years before they apply for citizenship. Do you think four years is good? Is five years better? Do you think you're given sufficient enough time to become a Canadian citizen?