As I was saying, not only do we do the financial eligibility and testing, but we also do the merit screening. Fifteen days for the basis of claim is going to make it extremely difficult for legal aid to do its job in ensuring that we are distributing moneys and funding those applicants who deserve it the most, and who, as I said, warrant the expenditure of public funds. Fifteen days is going to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for legal aid to continue delivering the services as it presently does. And it's 15 days not only from a legal aid perspective, but in terms of finding counsel even after legal aid has issued a certificate, which enables representation by the private bar. There are many, many hurdles that present themselves, in terms of finding a lawyer who's going to be available at the time, finding interpreters who can assist you.
So one of the recommendations is that the basis of claim form be extended to either the 28 days that claimants presently have in terms of filing their personal information forms, their PIFs, or be rounded out to 30 days.
Being here this morning and hearing Mr. Weston's comments about wanting to maintain the integrity of the system...nobody wants an average refugee claim taking 21 months. That's not good for my clients, it's not good for legal aid, it's not good for anyone. It's not good as Canadians. We want the system to be more fair and more efficient. We want it to be faster. I think echoing Mr. Goldman's comments this morning on throwing out the baby with the bathwater, I don't think an additional two weeks or 15 days to get the basis of claim form to be submitted is really going to delay the process that much. But in terms of making it workable and doable for all stakeholders and for all members who are involved in the process, it will make an enormous difference.