Louis Sebert

Mr. Chair, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories and the NWT Law Foundation over the years have contributed towards the financial contribution of the operation of the library. The total amount contributed, however, has fallen. In 2007-08 it was around $120,000 and it’s fallen currently to about $50,000. It would appear that the contributions have fallen even while our costs have risen. As a percentage of the costs, and I don’t have the figures in front of me, obviously the contributions have fallen to be about 11 per cent from probably a much higher percentage in 2007-08. Although there...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left is Kim Schofield, director of finance, and to my right, Sylvia Haener, deputy minister of Justice.

Mr. Chair, we are hoping that the appraisal of the program, the evaluation of the program, will be completed by the mid-fall, perhaps October, November. If there are issues, we certainly are not going to abandon the field, as it were. We are committed to having this program or this type of program in force. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, Mr. Chair. Perhaps Ms. Schofield can assist.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m pleased to present the 2016-2017 main estimates for the Department of Justice. Overall, the Department’s estimate proposes a decrease of just over $3.4 million representing a decrease of 2.67 per cent over the 2015-2016 main estimates. The department’s budget continues to balance the need to ensure effective frontline program delivery while supporting the government’s objective of limiting expenditure growth to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework. The estimates represent the work of the department for the administration of a justice system that...

Mr. Speaker, I’m not certain which law library was spoken to or are they are planning to speak to. I know that there’s two law schools in Alberta at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and the University of Calgary obviously in Calgary. I know little more than that. There will be communications with one or both of those libraries.

Mr. Speaker, at the time the budget was rolled, if I could put it that way, a letter was sent to the Law Society asking for their concerns or input. I can say that informally over the years I have consulted with my fellow practitioners and I took what they told me to Cabinet when we did discuss this very matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we’re anticipating this change will actually save a great deal of money. Last year, just to give the House some statistics, we spent $467,000 to operate the library. There were only 984 visitors to the library, so that works out to about $500 for each person, each visitor, to the library. Only 385 books were signed out, which would work out to about $1200 for each book signed out. Additionally, our statistics indicate that most of the users of the current library are the legal profession and only about one per cent of the users are the general public, but I’m glad to see the...

Mr. Speaker, the department is very focused on issues of access to justice and we’re looking at the feasibility of establishing a resource centre in the courthouse which would allow counsel, legal counsel, and the general public to access electronic materials and a limited number of hard-copy books.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled “Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 182-18(2): RCMP Services in Wrigley.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.