Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the floor today.
Like my colleagues, I am pleased to have this opportunity to congratulate the hon. member for Surrey North on having moved this important motion. It truly deserves the support of every member of the House.
The motion is straightforward:
That the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security be instructed to undertake a review of the Criminal Records Act and report to the House within three months on how it could be strengthened to ensure that the National Parole Board puts the public’s safety first in all its decisions.
This does not seem at all controversial to me. It is an important and timely motion.
I do not think it would be an exaggeration to say that millions of Canadians were shocked to learn that, a few weeks ago, the National Parole Board granted a convicted sex offender a full pardon. We are not talking about just any offender, but a notorious sex offender who never showed a hint of remorse or apologized to his victims.
People across Canada have kept asking the same question: how could that have happened?
Obviously, the answer is “very easily”. Under the Criminal Records Act, the National Parole Board had no other choice but to pardon the unrepentant sex offender, who had abused a number of adolescents. It was not the response hoped for by Canadians and they let the authorities know that it is not the response they wish to see in future.
Consequently, I believe that the motion introduced by the member for Surrey North is the appropriate response. His motion deserves to be supported by all members of this House.