I think that is an important consideration, and I thank you, Mr. Menegakis, for stating the obvious.
Quite frankly I think it's expected that all departments deliver the services, the programs, the results that are expected, and Justice is no exception. They do so with a mind to ensuring responsibility, accountability, of that program spending. Part of that is transparency, as we're exhibiting here. Part of it is also doing examinations from time to time of what actual efficiencies can be delivered when it comes to those programs.
It's no small consideration to keep in mind the taxpayers' money that is being used to deliver these programs and the results we are talking about here. I think there is an expectation on the part of Canadians that we balance the budget, that we get back to a place that is important for Canadians. There is an expectation that we'll be able to achieve savings through innovation where possible, and it was a very strong commitment that we made.
Coming out of a recession, it's clear that we are one of the few countries, frankly, on the planet that have been able to do this and lower taxes and keep the budget balanced, in spite of some of the unexpected things that have happened in a very turbulent time around falling oil prices.
Not to get too far afield but to answer your question, we're very mindful of that fact at the Department of Justice. As all ministers will tell you, we've been asked to be very prudent in our requests this year—as in previous years—when we go to the Department of Finance and say that these are the programs we're delivering.
We've set certain priorities where we've increased spending. Child advocacy centres are one of them. Ensuring that we have safety and security around justice facilities is another important area where we sought increases. To come back to a question from Madame Boivin with respect to legal aid, this is an ongoing concern. Where in other areas of justice we have had to reduce, we have managed to keep this funding stable. We've kept the funding stable, which does result in a net increase when calculated over time.
Of course, when we transfer significant dollars to provinces for the delivery of many of the justice programs and services, I would describe that as a direct contribution that the federal government is making to the delivery and accessibility of justice nationwide.