Justice committee  The total budget of Legal Aid Ontario is about $300 million a year. About $230 million of that is received from the provincial government, and it includes the federal transfer of approximately $50 million. Legal aid also receives revenue from client contributions and receives revenue as well from the interest on lawyers' mixed trust accounts, and that makes up most of the balance of the revenue.

Justice committee  The legal aid tariff in Ontario has had only a very modest increase since 1987. It was increased by 5% in 2002 and 2003—to be precise, in each of those years. Currently, the lowest rate is about $72 per hour; the medium rate, depending on experience and seniority, is about $84 per hour; and the highest rate is $92 per hour.

Justice committee  The bar says that legal aid rates are essentially charity work.

Justice committee  It's certainly true that we receive a lot of benefit from lawyers who are doing legal aid work, partly out of the desire to serve the community, and I certainly want to acknowledge that. Over the past five years the range of matters for which a criminal certificate will be issued has been restricted very significantly in order to try to accommodate increasing demand and increasing costs.

Justice committee  Is that question directed to me or Mr. Guitard?

Justice committee  Mr. Guitard's funding is included within the overall envelope of Legal Aid Ontario. I think Mr. Guitard's clinic is just starting their negotiation of funding for next year.

Justice committee  Most of the funding for Legal Aid Ontario is included in the provincial budget. It includes a significant transfer from the federal government pursuant to a contribution agreement. There was a three-year funding agreement; it expired on March 31, 2006, and it was extended on precisely the same terms and conditions for the year, without any increase or reduction in the amount of federal funding.

Justice committee  There have been some ongoing intergovernmental negotiations. I'm a representative of the legal aid plan and not of the Ontario government, so we're not always at the table for those discussions; we assist the province and support the negotiations of the cost-sharing agreement. But I am aware that the issue of funding for legal aid was discussed significantly at the recent meeting of the provincial-federal-territorial justice ministers conducted in October in Newfoundland.

Justice committee  That's an issue of the financial eligibility criteria, largely. It's unlikely that many of the men who apply for legal aid, if they're working, will be financially eligible, although we offer services irrespective of gender in relation to family law matters, so that if the men are financially eligible and are facing the same issues as a woman would be, we will provide the service.

Justice committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and honourable members. Speaking on behalf of Legal Aid Ontario, I'd like to advise you that we provide legal services to over one million low-income Ontarians per year, through our three programs—the duty counsel program, the clinic services, and the legal aid certificate system—when these clients have their safety, their homes, their families, their incomes, or their freedom in jeopardy.