Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to add our contribution to this debate.
Our critic in this area has already spoke to the fact that the NDP caucus finds a lot of merit in Bill C-69. We understand that the bill finds its origins in a legitimate public concern about the legitimate social issue of whether our interest comes from the fact that one is a parent and has concern about these issues, whether one works for an NGO or is one of the employers who may be concerned about a certain type of individual to be hired or the qualities the individual may possess. We are very glad to see the bill introduced because it finally starts to address legitimate concerns.
The amendments to the Criminal Records Act which we understand Bill C-69 to introduce would flag the criminal records of hardened sex offenders seeking positions of trust. That is the operative word. There has to be some burden of proof that the person is making application for a position of trust.
Bill C-69 would make them available for screening purposes by placing a flag on the records of convicted sex offenders so that police could be alerted. The sealed pardoned record would exist so they could then request the solicitor general's authorization to unseal the permanent record. Even if the individual has been pardoned and the criminal record has been sealed, the bill would give access to that information if it were deemed necessary.
In answer to these concerns Bill C-69 would develop a schedule of offences to be flagged. It does not mean that all pardoned offenders would have their records flagged. It would be a schedule of the types of things the community needs to know about and that should be flagged. It would also place a definition on children and vulnerable groups so that we would know what groups would be making application for the unsealing of closed records.
It is valuable to specify in the regulations factors to be considered by the solicitor general when looking at an unsealed pardoned record that should be reviewed, itemized and clarified.
Bill C-69 automatically revokes pardons for new convictions of indictable or hybrid offences. Someone may have been pardoned or there may be a pardon on record for a past offence but new offences obviously would have to be reviewed and revisited.
The NDP supports the overall intent of the legislation to ensure that the criminal records of pardoned sex offenders seeking positions of trust are available to law enforcement officers for screening purposes.
The one thing we have to be careful about in this type of legislation is that the rights of the individual still must be protected. The test of legislation of this kind is if it meets that challenge and we can be comfortable that the rights of the individual are not being trampled because that would not be to anyone's benefit.
Bill C-69 strikes a sufficient balance between the rights of the individual and the safety concerns of the community. That is the ultimate test and that is the thing we have to be worried about.
By giving law enforcement agencies the authority to access all records relating to the previous criminal conduct of an individual we may be able to prevent future tragedies. This is something that all members of the House, and I am pleased to see all speakers so far, are firmly committed to.
The NDP has always recognized that the true measure of our community and our culture is how we treat the most vulnerable in our society. Nobody would argue that children placed in a position of trust are easily those who are the most vulnerable. We believe that legislation like this takes us one more step down the road of making sure that our society can provide a safe and nurturing place for those people who are most vulnerable.
We have always maintained that history will judge us not by the illustrious buildings in our capital cities nor the might of our armies. We will be judged by what measures we have taken in this very privileged time to make sure we all enjoy the benefits not only of the redistribution of wealth but also of having some measure of safety and security no matter where we and our children are.
We are glad to vote in favour of Bill C-69. We are very pleased this measure came forward. It is the right thing to do and a very timely thing to do. We compliment the movers of the amendments. I give my assurance that the NDP caucus will vote in favour of Bill C-69.