Hon. Paula Simons: Minister Lametti, in my home province of Alberta, the legal aid system is facing a crisis. Defence lawyers are refusing to take on new clients due to the concern that compensation for lawyers who work on these difficult cases has not kept pace with the cost of anything. This is causing backlogs throughout Alberta’s criminal justice system. Although legal aid is primarily funded by the province, there has been a tradition of federal backstop. Since Alberta is not alone in facing this crisis, has there been any consideration of doing something — more on a national scale — to ensure that the defendants and the accused are not losing the opportunity to have a full defence and to ensure that the criminal bar is receiving adequate compensation for what is often difficult work?