Calvin Pokiak

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform this Assembly what percentage of their time the Legal Aid lawyers spend in JP court and whether stopping this practice will increase the amount of time the Legal Aid lawyers can spend defending people charged with serious crimes and criminal offences? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Justice, was interviewed on CBC Radio on Monday, October 25, 2004, and spoke of changes to the way the legal aid services in the Beaufort-Delta would be delivered in Justice of the Peace Court. A local justice of the peace in Inuvik had expressed concern that the legal aid lawyers would no longer represent people in JP court.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did say that the court workers would be available for clients at proceedings in Justice of the Peace Court. Now, I realize that proceedings in Justice of the Peace Court are usually...

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Ramsay.

Just one last thing, Madam Chair, thank you. It is indicated in the letter that we have in front of us here, it’s very clear that the landlord is willing to take up most of the cost. So can you follow through to find out how much more, other than the $115,000 it will cost to renovate that office space? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Dent.

Page 19, Transportation, capital investment expenditures, airports, special warrants, $3.4 million. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair, just to follow in line with my colleagues here, Madam Chair, a special warrant for $115,000 is a lot of money. Let’s just say that I’m glad that the Legal Services will have an office, but at the present time I’m still struggling with the thought of $115,000 for renovations of an office space. So that sort of falls in line with what Ms. Lee and my colleagues here were saying. The tenant or the landlord agreed that the majority of the cost would be at their expense, so how much above the $115,000 is the landlord willing to put into the office space? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Page 18, public legal services, special warrants, $115,000.