FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 8, 1998

New Democratic Party Convention
Passed By Two-Thirds Majority on March 8, 1998
WHEREAS legal aid is essential for ensuring that poor and disadvantaged persons in British Columbia have access to legal services; and

WHEREAS the Government of British Columbia collects a seven per cent tax on all legal services to help offset the cost of general revenue contributions to legal aid, and this tax revenue is estimated at $81.4 million for 1997/98; and

WHEREAS the federal government provides transfer payments to British Columbia of at least $25 million for legal aid, which is to be matched by provincial government general revenues; and

WHEREAS the Government of British Columbia has frozen legal aid funding, is failing to transfer the designated tax funds and federal funds to the Legal Services Society, providers of legal aid, leading to severe budget shortfall;

WHEREAS the legal aid system has reached a crisis because the Legal Services Society has, since January, been unable to pay its debts, has been required to run a line of credit of over $1 million, is not receiving government recognition of the urgency of this situation, and is now considering further cuts to eligibility:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the New Democratic Party of British Columbia urgently call on the government to immediately increase legal aid funding to adequate levels, in order to ensure that poor and disadvantaged men, women and children of BC will have access to the justice system, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the New Democratic Party urgently speak out in support of its policy commitment not only to equal protection under the law, but also to equal access to the legal system for all people of British Columbia.