New Alberta bill creates problematic funding changes for legal groups, critics say

There are major problems brewing in Alberta’s legal system.

That’s according to lawyers, the Alberta NDP and justice advocates, who all gathered to sound an urgent alarm Thursday.

“Thousands and thousands of Albertans are going to be left with longer wait times, without access to services at all,” said Byron Chan, executive director of the Alberta Law Foundation.

The issue, they say, is Bill 39 and a government move to cut $22 million from Legal Aid Alberta.

They claim the Alberta Law Foundation will have to make up the difference, taking money away from 65 programs it currently funds.

Kathy Parsons, the executive director of the Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic, says that includes a $575,000 yearly cut to her program – based in Red Deer – which provides free legal help to people who can’t afford a lawyer.

“If you’re waiting six or eight weeks just to get legal advice, you might be too late to respond to whatever your legal issue is,” Parsons said. “You’ve lost your housing, it takes that much longer for moms waiting for child support, another two months trying to feed her kids with no money.”

Advocates say these changes will also halt construction of a $100 million Indigenous law institute at the University of Alberta.

In addition, the bill would give the justice minister the power to approve or deny all grants over $250,000. Advocates say this is major step backwards for a system that has functioned well for more than 50 years.

“One of the problems with the amendments that have been introduced in the bill is the excessive oversight that it will give the provincial government to influence judicial outcomes through denying access to justice,” said Drew Lafond, who is on the board of directors of the Indigenous Bar Association in Canada.

But Alberta’s justice minister argues this is about finding efficiencies in the system, saying the law foundation still has $155 million this year to continue its work.

“Services will continue to flow, the grants will continue to flow as they were, and Albertans will continue to receive services from a multitude of non-profits all across the province through the Alberta Law Foundation funding,” said Justice Minister Mickey Amery.

The Alberta NDP leader disagrees, now calling on the government to reverse the cuts and stop creating chaos in the legal system.

“This isn’t about the budget,” Naheed Nenshi said. “This is entirely about power and control.”

With the UCP majority, Bill 39 passed first reading last month.