Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs on our review of the Department of Justice.
Standing committee Members feel there is a significant difference between community wellness and community corrections approaches. Building more facilities, whether they are in large centres or in each community, is not consistent with addressing the root of the problem, It is time for a different approach -- one which will allow the communities to identify other options which will have more impact on the offenders and be more effective in reducing crime.
The Standing Committee would like the department to provide a plan for tying community justice into the overall community wellness strategy. This plan should include concrete implementation options and details of how the department will identify the funding. It should also address the failure of the current system of corrections and how community justice and community corrections will change this. If the Minister believes the community correctional facilities are a necessary part of community justice, they should be specifically addressed in the plan. The Standing Committee would like this plan no later than June 1, 1996, since this is clearly a component of an overall community wellness strategy.
In the areas of community corrections, the department is encouraged to become more aggressive about what can happen in each community and to work with the other departments in the social envelope on blending resources to meet community needs.
The standing committee recognizes that there are statutory obligations to provide legal aid. However, there are opportunities to do business in a different way. As a way of supporting the legal aid system and reducing the costs, the standing committee recommends that the Minister explore an increased role for northern court workers and legal aid lawyers in assisting more of their clients. It may also be appropriate to consider giving legal aid clients the choice of which lawyer to use.
The standing committee recommends that the department attempt to have firearms registration and safety courses done at the community level as much as possible; for example, through the band or hamlet office. This would minimize the inconvenience to gun owners.
The standing committee supports maintaining a strong coroners' program. The coroners' program is consistent with community wellness and individuals contributing to the community in which they live.
During the business plan review process, there was considerable discussion about the possibility to close a correctional facility in order to meet the budget targets. The standing committee was very concerned about closing a facility. The Minister has committed to working closely with the standing committee to identify alternate ways to meet the department's budget.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the department.