I'll get you whatever statistical analysis of this.... I think you're quite correct that aboriginal Canadians are over-represented, and more so in a number of provinces than in other provinces.
That said, one of the reasons why I have always been a fan of the aboriginal justice strategy is that it seems to me it's a hands-on approach to try to assist individuals who get caught up in the system. One program I haven't mentioned is the court worker program, but that's another one. Getting people the kind of information and assistance they need is very important.
I mean, even in the territories, you'll remember, in the last budget we included.... A couple of new judges are from Nunavut. Again, it's to make sure that the justice system is there, if people get caught up in it, but more importantly it's to make sure that the resources are in place to assist these individuals at all levels, from the judges to the court workers and through the aboriginal justice strategy.
So we all have a stake in this. Again, whatever statistics in terms of the percentages....
But I agree with you that, regardless of whether the statistics have been updated since 2005, that's the information I have: they're over-represented in a number of provinces, particularly in western Canada. This is one of the reasons why I've been so supportive of this. When I became justice minister, I had a look at this strategy. The fact that it works, that there are statistics showing that there is less recidivism.... It's something I immediately bought into, and I've been pleased to support it over the years.