Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present to the Department of Justice' main estimates for the fiscal year 2007-2008.
The main estimates propose a department operations and maintenance budget for 2007-08 of $88441 million and capital funding of $618,000. The O and M budget is in an increase of 5.5 percent over the '06-07 main estimates. Mr. Chairman, this consists primarily of additional costs of policing in communities, community justice and the Collective Agreement.
The department has six main areas of activity:
- • Services to government: The department provides a range of legal services to the government. Staff lawyers draft legislation and provide legal advice to all Ministers, departments and many public agencies. Legal translators prepare the French versions of bills and regulations, as well as public materials with legal considerations. Also included in the $8.8 million budgeted for services to government are functions such as planning for the effects of resource development, improving supports to families in conflict and providing public information.
- • Law enforcement: Policing services are contracted to the RCMP, and one of the government's major priorities is to enhance policing in smaller communities. This summer, a new detachment will be created in Sachs Harbour...
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- • and the GNWT's share of the cost is $428,000. The department and RCMP work closely to develop new ways to address community needs. In total, Mr. Chairman, $27 million has been budgeted for law enforcement activities.
- • Legal aid services: The Legal Services Board is responsible for providing legal services to those NWT residents who cannot afford a lawyer, primarily for those facing criminal charges or experiencing family break-ups. There are three legal aid clinics in Yellowknife and Inuvik. The Legal Services Board also delivers the public legal education and court worker programs. All together, Mr. Chairman, the department has budgeted $4.6 million for legal aid services. This includes estimated federal contributions that will not be certain until the federal budget is released on March 19. It also includes $223,000 to pay for an increase to the tariff paid to lawyers in the private bar who take on legal aid cases.
- • Courts: The department provides funding and administrative support to the NWT courts. The total budget of $8.7 million is for the Justice of the Peace Court Program, Territorial Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, court libraries, court reporters, and the three court registries. This budget includes more money to cover justice of the peace training and the increase in circuit travel to hold court in communities.
- • Community justice and corrections: The department has budgeted $35 million for adult and young offender facilities, probation, wilderness camps, and cultural programs to support the rehabilitation of offenders. During the coming year, priority will be placed on reintegration, wilderness camps and programs within facilities. This money also funds programs aimed at preventing crime within communities through increased community participation that support victims' initiatives and that support community justice needs. Most of the department's collective bargaining increase related to this core function. There has also been a forced growth increase of $475,000 to cover rising operational costs. The budget, Mr. Chairman, also includes an increase of $680,000 to enhance community justice activities. This will provide additional support for community justice committees and victim services organizations, which provide direct services at the community level.
- • Services to the public: Just over $4 million budgeted for services to the public includes funding for the coroner's office, the public trustee, the rental office, legal registries, and the Maintenance Enforcement Program.
Mr. Chairman, the infrastructure acquisition plan includes $280,000 in capital costs related to electronic system upgrades at legal registries to improve service to the public.
Those are the key points and highlights of the 2007-2008 Department of Justice main estimates. I look forward to answering any questions you may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.