OTTAWA – The Liberal government will introduce legislation Tuesday to expunge the criminal records of Canadians previously convicted of consensual sexual activity with same-sex partners.
The new bill is being timed to coincide with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s long-awaited apology for state-sanctioned discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.
The legislation was promised back in June and the government recently set aside $4 million to support the process.
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Notice of the pending bill came Friday as lawyers for more than 2,000 people who are suing the government over alleged persecution by the government for their sexual orientation continued their negotiations.
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They’re hoping that, too, gets settled in time for the apology, a sentiment echoed by the federal NDP.
NDP MP Peter Julian says while apologies make an important statement, it’s the actions that follow from the government that will make them meaningful.
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