That's interesting, Monsieur LeBlanc.
When I was here the first time as a member of Parliament, it was a line item on the transfers, and I liked the idea that there was a line item for civil legal aid. A decision was made around 1995-96 that it would be rolled into the Canada social transfer.
I'm not the finance minister, but on each budget I watch very carefully. I've been very impressed by the increases every province has received under the Canada social transfer. A decision was made—it wasn't made by my government, as you know; it was made by another government with which you'll be familiar—that this should all be rolled into one. I haven't seen any push by the provinces to go back to having this as a separate line item. I've had people suggest this to me, but once the decision has been made....
I know you watch those budgets very carefully. Mr. Flaherty has had four of them. I watch very carefully to see what the allocation is for every province, and I have to tell you I've been very impressed by the increases that each province has received under those four budgets of Mr. Flaherty. So inasmuch as civil legal aid is now a part of that transfer, I think these are steps in the right direction.
You were talking a little about family and civil law, and mega-trials are an important aspect. We are looking at that. We are looking at the Code-LeSage report. Many of the recommendations there are at the provincial level. If I came forward with a bill on efficiencies and all that, I hope members would expedite it and move it through. As I indicated to you, it took 10 years to get the last bill we had before us through. When you bring forward a bill on efficiencies in the criminal justice system, it doesn't get a lot of publicity, but it's very important.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.