Ms. Glover, I'm very careful about never commenting on any specific case. When you raised the matter with me, I spoke in general terms, which I always do with respect to these.
But I think you made a very good point with respect to aboriginal Canadians, because this report—and we're only getting snapshots of it here—on page 9 of the report says: “Policy and programs need to be culturally sensitive and more recognition has to be given to the involvement of Aboriginal youth at all stages.” That is one of the reasons I am supportive of the money this government has allocated for the youth justice fund and for the aboriginal justice strategy, which comes within the purview of the Department of Justice. I have always been a big supporter of it.
While you may be critical of some aspects of what the provinces are doing, I have been very supportive and very complimentary of what the provinces are doing. Unlike what Monsieur Lemay said, I'm very pleased with what the Province of Quebec is doing, and I was very careful in the drafting of this legislation to make sure that we interfered in no way with provincial involvement on these matters. I was very careful at every step of the way on this, because anything that the provinces are doing...and as you have experienced on a day-to-day basis, it's people like you, municipal police forces, and provincial agencies, that are involved with these young people.
Yes, there is support at the federal level. I am pleased that $177 million annually goes to youth services funding from the federal government; I support that. I support it just as I support the increases to the Canada social transfer, because I want that money to get to help young people. Quite apart from the Canada social transfer, I am one of the big supporters of that $177 million going to the provinces, because I want to support their programs in this area.
I'm a big supporter of the aboriginal justice strategy and the specific money that we are putting in for the youth fund. Why? It's because we want to help these people, because I believe we have a better chance of rehabilitating a young person than if somebody is 47, rather than 17. We want them all to lead productive lives in society, but the younger we get them and the younger we give them help....
So I've always been a big fan of the provinces working within their areas of jurisdiction; I've been very supportive. And I've made that point to provincial attorneys general: to the extent that you put programs in place that are sensitive in some cases to aboriginal youth and to others, to the extent that you are sensitive in these areas and that you're putting resources to them....
I've been very supportive, and it's not just a Christmas card I send them or that the government sends them. We're making sure that they get the funds from the federal government, and I think it's money well spent. We put money into helping those young people.