For Immediate Release
October 18, 2006
LEGAL AID IN CRISIS, ATTORNEY GENERAL STANDS IDLY BY
Elliott calls on McGuinty Liberals to stop starving the legal aid system
(Queen’s Park) – Whitby-Ajax MPP Christine Elliott rose in the Ontario Legislature today to call for action on the legal aid file after years of neglect by the McGuinty Liberals.
“In June 2002, the now Attorney General Michael Bryant stood in this House and quoted Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin from her statement: ‘Providing legal aid to low-income Canadians is an essential public service.... The well-being of our justice system ... and the public’s confidence in it ... depend on it. If legal aid fails, justice fails.’ With respect to the need to update legal tariffs in Ontario, Mr. Bryant then added, “It’s about access to justice, and our entire justice system depends on it.”
However three years have passed since this Attorney General was appointed, and the government has yet to move on any substantive increase in funding for legal aid. “This is simply more evidence that this government will say anything to get elected. Once they are in office, their priorities suddenly change. They have yet to adjust the tariffs even once and the number of people turned away at the doors has increased by 42% in less than two years,” charged Elliott, “The legal aid system is in crisis.”
According to the Legal Aid Ontario Business Plan for 2006-2007, the estimated deficit will amount to $10-12 million. A recent Town Hall meeting co-chaired by Elliott in her home riding of Whitby-Ajax provided more evidence that this inaction on behalf of the government has put our most vulnerable citizens at risk. This is especially true in Durham Region, where there is the highest number of children per capita in Ontario in the care of the local Children’s Aid Society, and scarce, if any, legal aid assistance available.
“The situation is particularly urgent in family law matters involving domestic violence and in child protection matters,” warned Elliott. “As was noted at the meeting by legal counsel for the Durham Children’s Aid Society, ‘The Ontarians who are ultimately deprived of justice are the children themselves. These are Ontarians who do not get a vote, but suffer because of the choices being made about allocation of funds to the justice/legal system.’”
“Legal Aid Ontario is pleading with you, Children’s Aid societies are pleading with you and vulnerable people all across this province are pleading with you,” said Elliott. “When are you going to take some real, substantive action?”
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For more information contact:
Christine Elliott, M.P.P
Whitby-Ajax
416.325.1331
