Thank you.
Welcome, Minister Lametti.
I want to talk about access to justice. You've often heard this phrase—it's been bantered around for as long as I've been a lawyer—“Justice delayed is justice denied.” We know that. It's ripped from the headlines and from the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. He is calling for the speedy appointment of more judges in a letter that he penned directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In the wake of that particular letter, you told reporters in Ottawa that you understand the problem posed by the vacancies: “I understand the problem. I’m working very hard with people across the country to make this system work.” We have 90 judicial vacancies across this country, 24 of which are in the province of Ontario—civil cases and criminal cases. What do you say to Canadians, victims, defendants, and other judges, who are now facing an extra burden with their caseloads? What do you mean by “I'm working very hard”?
I'm sorry, Minister, but that's not good enough. What is your plan to fill those vacancies?