Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish I could make that promise, but as Minister I'm not allowed to provide any direction directly to the Legal Services Board because it is an independent body. The limits are the appointment and revocation of appointments of the members of that board. That's the only action that the Minister can provide, other than providing funding. I can tell you that we have not cut our funding to legal aid at all in the recent past. As I said, we have tried to increase the staff lawyer component to deal with the backlog. I've talked to the federal Minister of Justice within the last week. He committed to me that he would continue to fight for the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon to receive funding that is not tied to per capita so that we will continue to receive a disproportionate amount of funding and that we would see no cuts. But it's a situation where we are doing what we can, given the financial resources that we have to work with, and especially since we don't have enough lawyers who are willing to practice family law in the Northwest Territories.
Charles Dent on Question 12-15(2): Access To Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on January 21st, 2004. See this statement in context.
Further Return To Question 12-15(2): Access To Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Question 12-15(2): Access To Legal Aid For Family Law Matters
Item 6: Oral Questions
January 20th, 2004
Page 28
See context to find out what was said next.