There's a sense among many in the general public that fighting in court is the sport of kings. If you can't afford to be represented, you feel like you don't have a place there.
Justice must be for everyone in our society. It should not matter whether you are rich or poor when you seek justice through the system. Making sure that we are able to provide supports to ensure that more people have a just outcome is essential, without obviating the need for provincial governments to do their part in making good on their areas of responsibility.
You mentioned legal aid. This obviously is primarily contributed to provincially, with federal supports in certain areas. That's something concrete we can do to help particularly the most vulnerable, such as low-income families, to ensure that they have access to counsel. Self-representation is generally a bad thing across the system, and we have an opportunity in certain cases to help reduce the proliferation of self-represented litigants.
You mentioned the court challenges program. Understanding that the government is not only subject to law but also willing to make supports available for organizations that would challenge it is a unique and important idea. In my view, it improves not only the quality of the laws we have but also the ability of citizens to participate in democracy on issues of systemic importance.
There will be other items on which we won't usurp provincial jurisdiction but will work with provinces to fund programs that will deliver a positive systemic outcome. I'm thinking about work we're doing now to collect better data on bail, for example, by collaborating with provincial governments.
There are roles for us to play, but we need to make sure we work with willing partners as part of a collaborative approach with provinces, all of which want to solve these problems, in my experience, regardless of region and regardless of partisan affiliation.