Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to understand one thing, and I would like my colleagues from the other parties to explain to me the reasoning in question. We know that criminals who commit murder are sentenced to life in prison, but they can apply for conditional release after 25 years and, as a result, return to society.
However, on the other hand, people who in their youth have had little run-ins with the law will still not be forgiven after 20 years. However, criminals have the opportunity to get out of prison as quickly as possible, yet honest citizens who had slight problems in their youth will be subjected to a thorough background check, going back to their birth. I'm trying to understand the logic here, because it seems that we want to limit as much as possible the number of people who have licences, because it's so exhaustive. That seems very arbitrary to me.
My NDP colleague said it should be okay, but that answer is too vague. Indeed, what can we rely on when we say “it should be okay”? What will be considered a problem and what will not? I would like to understand why the 20-year period is not considered sufficient in this case, when it is for a criminal. After all, once inmates have served one-sixth of their sentences, the law allows for temporary absences or day parole. In the same logic, why shouldn't good citizens who have had minor run-ins with the law in their lives also have a chance?