Mr. Speaker, we are doing it because we have a responsibility to Canadians, a responsibility to do what we promised we would do.
This overhaul of citizenship legislation has been on our agenda for years. We promised it during the last election campaign, in various throne speeches, particularly the most recent one, and in our budgets. Now it is time for action.
Canadians care deeply about their citizenship. They understand that it is very valuable and that problems in the existing law need to be fixed.
The law was last updated in 1977 under Prime Minister Trudeau's Liberal government. Many problems, such as abuses and processing delays, have surfaced since then.
If we do not take action and make this bill the law of the land, tens of thousands of permanent residents who want to become citizens will suffer. The opposition is not taking their interests into account.