Justice Committee on May 6th, 2009

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I think I'll get the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has direct responsibility for those prosecutors, to answer that.

[Brian J. Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Public Prosecution Service of Canada]

You are right that several provinces are now ahead of the federal government in paying prosecutors and lawyers from the justice department. The budget bill that was introduced limited the salary increases until 2011. The decision has been taken as to what the salary will be in the future. In a sense, we're locked into a salary range that's going to be lower than the ranges in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I have a similar question along the lines of additional assistance to the legal aid plans across the country. There may be two parts to this, Mr. Minister. If additional funds are going to be flowing for that, is this part of the backlogs that are developing? Also, is your department doing anything to establish a more cohesive, comprehensive legal aid plan?

I realize it's a provincial responsibility, but in terms of standards that would be comparable across the country, is any assistance being provided or research being done to try make the plans more comprehensive and more equitable across the country?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Over the past number of months we have worked on a collaborative basis with our provincial and territorial colleagues on this. Of course, we're always looking at the whole question of legal aid. I am pleased that in the main estimates before you, there's a guaranteed $119.8 million in contributions to assist the provinces in the operation of legal aid on their part. I think this is money well spent for the provincial governments.

With respect to refugee claimants, we're continuing to work with our provincial colleagues on a mutually acceptable solution. We have ongoing discussions, and we try to be as helpful as we can.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by having exact standards across the country. They're administered by the provinces, and they set their own terms. Whenever you get involved with areas of provincial jurisdiction, you have challenges, but we have to be very supportive.

I don't think I got to Monsieur Ménard's question. Yes, we can provide a breakdown as to how much money is spent in each province and territory across the country.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Those last 15 seconds don't come out of my time.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It reminded me, and I slipped that in there.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Minister, if I'm reading the estimates correctly, there's a substantial reduction in the grants in support of the Youth Justice Fund from last year to this year. Am I reading those correctly? If so, why is that?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Perhaps I'll get the deputy minister to respond.

That's not the case, though. It's interesting, Mr. Comartin, that you raised this question in terms of the timing of these things with me before, a couple of years ago. It's not a question of less money; there's more money overall going into these. It's a question of the timing and the timeframe that you're looking at. I think if you add up the different times I've been here.... But I'll ask the deputy to provide some details.

[John Sims, Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General's Office, Department of Justice]

On the Youth Justice Fund, Mr. Comartin, the total amount spent this year under that program remains the same, at $5.005 million. However, some of the money was moved from a grant to a contribution. So the grant fund was decreased by $350,000, but the contribution portion of that entire initiative was increased by the same amount of money. That was done simply because, as officials looked at the funding requests that were coming in, there were more requests coming in for large-scale multi-year projects, which are better dealt with through contribution funding, and the anticipated array of small projects had gone down in the guns, gangs, and drugs funding.

So the same amount of money is being spent; it's just being spent slightly differently.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

There were a number of news stories four to six weeks ago--I'm not sure, Mr. Minister or Mr. Sims, whether it's in this fund or if it's in Public Safety--about funds allocated for youth crime prevention programs not being spent in full. It wasn't even close to spent. It was somewhere around 60% of the dollars.

Is this what happened in these, or is that in Public Safety?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I believe what you're referring to is in Public Safety.

We do undertake extensive consultations and work to take up access to these, but not all the money is taken up all the time. Nonetheless, I think it's important that it's there, and that we continue to work with groups in and outside of governments across this country to make use of the money that's available.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Can you tell me, Mr. Minister, in terms of the 2008-09 budget and those two funds, both contributions and grants, if all of the funds were in fact spent on the youth programs?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Again, some of them wouldn't be within the Justice estimates. I believe they're in Public Safety. I will provide you with a breakdown of exactly where we're at on those.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

But I'm asking for the numbers that are showing in the estimates for the previous budget year, and whether all of that has been spent.

Perhaps you could provide that to the committee.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

By all means.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Finally, Mr. Minister, have the funds for the youth prevention programs, both grants and contributions, already been allocated for this year? Or is that an ongoing process?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Well, again, under the Youth Justice Fund, the deputy indicated to you that over $5 million, as part of this budget, has been allocated for that.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I'm sorry; I'm still not clear on whether that was last year's or this year's.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It is this year's. It's an ongoing process, with continuous funding, but that's part of the estimates for 2009-10.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Is a list available of the specific programs that were allocated in the past year and the current ones so far this year? Is that available?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I'm sure it is, Mr. Comartin--

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Could you provide that to me, please?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

By all means.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you.

Those are all my questions, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Thank you.

Mr. Rathgeber, you have seven minutes.