Mr. Speaker, we can have that debate also on the court challenges program.
The member said that unless there is proper access to legal aid and to the court challenges program, only the rich will have equal rights which is unacceptable. He asked if the Minister of Justice would improve access to legal aid to provide Canadians with the justice they are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It is based on that question that I am providing this answer on what our government is doing to enhance legal aid and therefore enhance access to justice for the individuals whom the member referenced in his question, those who need help through legal aid.
The permanent funding over 10 years is unprecedented. It provides the provinces with stable funding for their legal aid programs. Over the next five years, the government will contribute $560 million to the provinces--