Mr. Minister, pardons are an important part of our corrections system. We're talking about people who come before the parole board after three, five, or ten years of doing what society has asked them to do. I think they are the success stories of our justice system. These are people who are saying they have committed no crime, they have kept a good repute, and they've paid their debt to society. We all know the stain a criminal record has on people.
Wouldn't you agree, sir, that it is important to preserve that feature of our criminal justice system so that people have an opportunity to redeem themselves and to re-enter society as good people? Those people can have their pardon revoked if they ever commit a crime again. Isn't it good to give that as part of our corrections system? Shouldn't we be encouraging that?