Mr. Speaker, undoubtedly, the prior regime in place before the Liberals broke Canada's bail system was one in which the rights of the public were considered in assessing the suitability for release of someone charged with a criminal offence. Of course we are talking about a very particular stage in our criminal justice process, a point in time when a person is charged but has not been tried and has not been found guilty.
However, when we consider past criminal behaviour as an aspect of the probability of reoffending, that consideration and the protection of the public must be part of the overall consideration our courts give to the option of bail or any other form of release. Under the Harper government, we had the balance better struck. Those are the days we need to return to.