Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to ask a few questions here with regards to legal aid services and the needs that we have with legal aid. When we travelled with the Child and Family Services Act review, one of the things that was made very evident to us as committee members was the difficulties that people have particularly in the small communities accessing legal aid services in terms of child apprehensions and so on. I think there is an increase. I think we are hiring another lawyer for legal aid services in this next year’s budget, but I would like confirmation on that. I would also like to know in terms of the longer term view, what the department’s plans are to deal with the lack of access to legal aid for our clients who are residents who need it. Thank you.

Ms. Schofield.

Mr. Chairman, going forward, I guess, I need to know from the department what the plans are to try and deal with the lack of access to legal aid services that exists in our communities. Thank you.

Minister Lafferty.

Mr. Chairman, this particular area that the Member is addressing we are fully aware of it. We are planning for, as the Member alluded to, as we move forward, we want to identify what is required at the community level, especially those smaller communities that we represent. This is part of the plan. We have identified a lawyer for this new initiative. The following year we want to highlight what is required and push within our department part of the business planning process. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, thanks to the Minister. That is all well and good, but there are people now in our communities that run into difficulties whether it be because they are the victim or they are the person that is creating the disturbance or they are the parent who is having a child apprehended. All of those things. They need access to a lawyer and to legal aid. They don’t have it. There is lots of opportunity for use of technology I would think. I didn’t hear anything in the Minister’s

answer that they are looking beyond just hiring more lawyers. They generally happen to be in Yellowknife. If I happen to be living in Fort Resolution, that doesn’t help me much to get a lawyer because they are all in Yellowknife and my problem happens to be in Fort Res. I would like to ask the Minister if he could expound a bit on whether or not the department is forward thinking. Do they have plans to try and create access to legal aid and to lawyers outside of our larger centres? Thank you.

Ms. Watters.

Mr. Chairman, thanks to the deputy minister for that explanation. Yes, I realize that it is a big job and it is not an easy job. I am glad to hear that it is on the radar and it is being looked at.

The last concern that I wanted to raise here, and this, again, came up at least once during the Child and Family Services Act review when we were on our tour, and that is the number of hours that people get from legal aid for their concern or for their issue. Several times we heard people say that they had a lawyer. They were dealing with a lawyer and they were basically told I have used up all of my hours and I can’t help you anymore. I wonder if the Minister or the deputy minister can comment on that. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I guess just a comment here. I appreciate that specific situations have specific results, but I think there is sort of an educational aspect to this particular issue that

needs to be addressed. I don’t think a lot of the people that mentioned this difficulty to us that the number of hours for their lawyer ran out, I don’t think a lot of those people understood that they could ask for an extension. It probably wasn’t offered to them. So I think there’s an education aspect on the part of the victims or the users of the system and there’s an aspect of education on the part of the lawyers as well. I think it’s something that maybe the department could try and address, as well as maybe looking or having the Legal Services Board look at the hours that are assigned for particular matters and maybe loosening their guidelines a little bit, because it sounded from the people that we heard from and what constituents tell me when they have difficulties is that it’s pretty much hard and fast and they say, well, we need a little bit more time and the answer comes back and, no, I’m sorry, you can’t have it. So just a comment. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Comment. Minister, if you want to respond.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I agree with the Member that we definitely need to do more reaching out to the communities so they’re aware of the hours that they’re entitled to and that they can access some additional hours if need be. Just additional information that is required, we’ll definitely do our part to deliver those key messages. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Next I have Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice our spending on legal aid staff lawyers is going down. Now I suspect they haven’t volunteered to take a cut in pay. So I’m wondering what that’s all about. I guess I’d like to ask what that’s all about and is the new legal aid office that was in the business plans going ahead as profiled in the business plans.

Ms. Schofield

Is it my understanding is that the Somba K’e Legal Aid Clinic will have one lawyer or more than one lawyer? Thank you.

Minister of Justice.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that the clinic will have three lawyers and a support staff as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Bromley. Page 9-19, activity summary, legal aid services, operations expenditure summary, $5.905 million.

Agreed. Moving on to page 9-20, information item, legal aid services, active positions.