Vote Yes
An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review)
This bill amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to prevent offenders convicted of first- or second-degree murder from filing new applications for day or full parole after a denial, cancellation, or termination. Instead, their parole will be reviewed automatically according to existing statutory review schedules, without offender-initiated reapplications. It does not change parole eligibility periods or decision criteria, only the process for subsequent reviews.
This is a targeted procedural change that can streamline parole administration for murder cases, supporting safety and modest efficiency gains. Its economic impact is minimal, so delivering value depends on avoiding unintended longer custody for low-risk individuals and maintaining timely, risk-based reviews.
What is the government’s cost–benefit analysis for this change—how many Parole Board hearings will be avoided annually, and will any administrative savings be outweighed by higher custody costs if fewer low-risk offenders are reviewed early?
Will the minister confirm that the Parole Board will retain authority to initiate earlier reviews in exceptional cases so rehabilitated, low-risk offenders are not kept in prison longer than necessary while ensuring public safety?
How will the government transparently measure and report the bill’s impact within 12 and 24 months—on victim participation, wait times between reviews for murder cases, and parole outcomes—using existing data systems?
A criminal justice process change has negligible direct impact on national prosperity.
Streamlines a repetitive application process and reduces administrative churn at the Parole Board; impact is narrow and outside core economic freedom.
No material link to productivity or international competitiveness.
No connection to trade or exports.
Unrelated to investment or innovation policy.
Could reduce hearing frequency and administrative workload, but savings may be offset if fewer early reconsiderations extend incarceration for low-risk offenders.
No tax changes.
A narrow procedural reform in corrections; neither advances nor undermines large-scale prosperity goals.
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