Member for Great Slave.

That's all for now. Thank you.

Thank you. No further questions, please turn to page 315.

Justice, court services, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $18,421,000. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Moving on to legal aid services, beginning on page 317 with information items on page 319. Are there any questions? Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see there's a further reduction in the line for Office of the Children's Lawyer, even more than last year. There's another reduction of about $45,000. Can the Minister explain what the further reduction is about. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. That's a residual reduction from last year. It's just the final amount over the final time period that is being reduced. Thank you.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Is the Minister able to share with us any statistics on the number of children that are being served by the Office of the Children's Lawyer? For example, numbers between -- you know, over the last three years, you know, while there's been reductions in the Office of the Children's Lawyer. Is the Minister able to share with us the number of children that have continued to be served up to 2024-2025? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So I have them broken down by calendar year. So in 2025, there have been eight children. 2024, 38. 2023, 34. 2022, 38. 2021, 31. Thank you.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Okay, thank you, Madam Chair, for those stats. So given the fact that I believe -- according to the last annual report of child and family services, there were at least 106 children in permanent care. Can the Minister clarify whether all children that are going into permanent care have access to the Office of the Children's Lawyer or why -- and I know the Office of the Children's Lawyer is not just for children in care but it might be one major area where the office provides services. Can the Minister clarify why the number of children is relatively low that are being served by the office compared to the number of children that are actually in permanent care? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. I'll hand that to the deputy minister.

Deputy minister Doolittle.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So if we're -- I mean, I understand that obviously a baby or a toddler is not going to apply themselves. But if we have a child that's, like, eight or ten years old, are we expecting that child themselves to apply on their own, or is there -- I mean, I understand this goes beyond Department of Justice to department of HSS, but how can legal aid or how can justice ensure that children actually have the support and access to -- meaningfully access the services of the Office of the Children's Lawyer given that we probably aren't going to expect an eight or ten-year-old to apply themselves and take the initiative to apply for a lawyer from this office. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So the court system itself is actually tasked with that role, and they're the ones who would appoint legal counsel for the children. So we don't expect an eight-year-old to go and go to the legal aid office and take a number and wait in line and meet with a lawyer. The court would actually make that determination. Thank you.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So can the Minister confirm that that's the only way, then, for children to access services of the Office of the Children's Lawyer, is that they have to wait for a judge to appoint that lawyer for them or to recommend the appointment for them? Thank you, Madam Chair.