Mr. Chairman. As a novice Minister in this portfolio, I understand that it is part of the Constitution that judges are independent of legislatures and parliaments. All we do is provide money for them to run the justice system. I think we provide an amount of money for them to take training, and those things that they deem for themselves necessary to carry out their judicial duties. It is not for us to direct them to do anything specific.

I understand, and I am told, that judges, at least in western Canada, have done a tremendous amount of work in looking at, I do not know if this is the right way to phrase it, but, looking at gender equality, and aboriginal justice, and how they can come to grips with those issues? There has been a lot of work done in recent years.

I know that just by looking, and by getting briefed very quickly on the work that judges and J.P.s are doing here in the Northwest Territories, it is tremendously demanding. We know the kind of schedules that Ministers and Members of this Legislature keep and are willing to do, but we get good pay for the work we do. I think the amount of volume of work, the stress, and the travel that we demand of these judges is, in my view, tremendous.

I want to share that with you, because I want you to know that I am a little bit sensitive about judges, and I want to make sure that they are treated properly and fairly.