Mr. Speaker, I will read from the hon. member's question referencing improved access to legal aid. This was a question he put to the Minister of Justice and he asked that if the minister refuses to budge and does not save the court challenges program, would he at least improve access to legal aid to provide Canadians with justice.
It is the question's premise, that somehow this government is not paying its share for legal aid, that I want to completely reject. I want to speak of the contribution that our government is making toward the court system and ensuring that accused in our system have access to justice and access to legal aid.
One of our government's key priorities is to protect Canadian families and communities through a strengthened justice system that is accountable, efficient, accessible and responsive. Criminal legal aid ensures that an accused will not go free simply because in the absence of being able to pay for a lawyer himself or herself, the right to a fair trial would be violated.
Since the 1970s, the federal government has been contributing to the cost of criminal legal aid through agreements with the provinces. The federal government has also provided resources to the territories for both criminal and civil legal aid through contribution agreements.
In recent years, growing pressures on the legal aid system have led the federal government in collaboration with the provinces and territories to conduct extensive research to examine the needs and to consider innovative ways of ensuring that the legal aid needs of economically disadvantaged Canadians are met. I think this speaks to some of what the hon. member was saying in his speech to ensure that there is access to justice.
The agreements respecting legal aid covering fiscal year 2003-04 to fiscal year 2005-06 initiated a legal aid renewal strategy. These agreements were subsequently extended by one year by our government.
With regard to the provision for civil legal aid, which is quite distinct from criminal legal aid, the federal government has contributed to the provision of civil legal aid since the early 1970s. Initially, funding to the provinces was provided through the Canada assistance plan. Then in 1995-96, the Canada assistance plan was absorbed into the Canada health and social transfer, known as the CHST. Now the Canada social transfer has replaced the Canada health and social transfer.
Canada's new government in budget 2007 extended the CST to 2013-14. The budget also provides that support for social assistance and social services, including civil legal aid, will increase to $6.2 billion in 2007-08. As a result of the 3% annual CST escalator, this funding will increase to $7.2 billion by 2013-14.
In addition to civil legal aid resources contained in the CST, since 2001-02 the federal government has also provided through the legal aid agreements an additional $11.5 million annually for immigration and refugee legal aid to the six provinces currently providing these services. Those include British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada's new government is committed to continued funding for criminal legal aid. That is why for the first time in over 10 years, and this is important, we are increasing permanently the ongoing funding for criminal legal aid by the $30 million provided as interim resources--