UPDATE: MPs pass bill, prevent pardon for Homolka

June 25, 2010 - 1:26 p.m. ESTSwiftly accomplished before Parliament's summer recess were local MPs', Rick Dykstra for St. Catharines and Malcolm Allen for Welland, efforts to prevent Homolka's ability for a pardon, which is quickly approaching in the month of July.
On June 17, just hours before their summer break - during which Karla Homolka, who was convicted in the slayings of two local teens in 1991-92, would be eligible to apply for a pardon from the Government of Canada - MPs passed a bill to block Homolka's application from being one of the 99 per cent of pardons PM Stephen Harper claims are accepted by the government every year.
Proposed legislation, which was presented to the House in May, initially had the intentions of ruling out pardons for sex offenders and expanded the waiting period for those who have been convicted of more serious crimes.
In order to create agreement over the proposed bill, the compromise was in expanding the period for those who have committed serious crimes to 10 years, from the current five.
The bill would not prevent those convicted of manslaughter - like Homolka - from apply for pardons, but it allows the National Parole Board to reject applications that disregards the administration of justice.