Bill proposed to make criminal pardons cheaper, easier tabled by Liberals

Bill C-31, or the Reducing Barriers to Reintegration Act, was introduced to the House of Commons Thursday, which looks to undo measures introduced by Stephen Harper's Conservatives.

Under the proposed bill, offenders who received a summary conviction must wait three years instead of the five currently in place, and those with more serious offenses would have to wait five instead of the current 10 years.

According to the Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, the cost of a pardon application rose from $150 to $680 over the last 10 years, causing the number of pardon applicants to decrease by half.

Blair states that an easier path to a pardon would remove barriers in place to housing applications, travel and employment, as well as a clear path to reintegration.

Conservatives previously stated, according to CTV, that Canadian taxpayers should not have to subsidize the cost of such pardons.