Interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer welcomes and warns the new Speaker of the House
Interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer congratulated the newly elected Speaker of the House Francis Scarpaleggia on Monday. Scheer jokingly provided Scarpaleggia with historical instances of speakers losing their heads under the command of the King in the 14th and 16th centuries.
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CTV News
30 minutes ago
- CTV News
Moncton launches review of municipal plan, seeks public feedback
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CBC
37 minutes ago
- CBC
N.B. auditor general finds outdated eligibility puts people at risk of not getting legal aid
Some low-income New Brunswickers who need legal help with criminal or family matters may not be getting it because the criteria for legal aid eligibility haven't been reviewed for eight years, the province's auditor general says. Paul Martin reviewed the efficiency and effectiveness of the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission in providing legal aid across the province between April 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024. He concluded the commission is doing a "commendable job" in many areas, including the timely processing of applications, with 84 per cent approved or denied within a week, and the consistent application of financial eligibility criteria. But "lack of timely review of the eligibility grid may contribute to the risk that [the commission] may not be fulfilling its mandate to serve low-income individuals as intended," Martin said in the report tabled Tuesday in the legislative assembly. Almost 500 applications denied The Legal Aid Services Commission provided full legal representation on 5,727 criminal and family cases in fiscal 2023-2024, according to the report. Its scope of service includes criminal charges that come with a likelihood of incarceration, as well as a variety of family law services, such as child custody and access orders, child and spousal support, divorce in some circumstances and some emergency protection and intervention orders. Of 8,717 applications, 498 — or six per cent — were deemed financially ineligible by an intake officer. "Legal aid plays a vital role in ensuring low-income individuals are provided fair and equitable access to justice," Martin said. He also found no formalized financial appeals process, and people who did appeal were not treated consistently, according to the first volume of his 2025 performance audit, which also includes chapters on public housing maintenance and N.B. Power's early retirement program. For example, of the 140 appeals, 14 applicants were approved with an income of more than 10 per cent above the threshold, while 15 were denied despite their income being within 10 per cent of the threshold. In addition, the commission has not has not adequately analyzed whether the use of staff or private lawyers is more cost-effective, Martin said. A breakdown of hourly rates in the report indicates staff lawyers cost nearly twice as much for criminal defence and more than three times as much for family cases. Recommends review of eligibility The financial grid used to determine eligibility for legal aid services has not been updated since 2017, Martin said. The tiered grid considers gross income, allowable deductions and household size. Depending on the applicant's income and household size, if deemed eligible, they may be required to make a contribution to their legal costs of either $150 or $250. He recommends the commission establish and implement a review process for the financial eligibility grid to ensure it's fulfilling its mandate as intended. The commission agrees, but said it will take some time to provide proper analysis. It hopes to have that complete by Year 2, it said. Other recommendations Among Martin's other five recommendations are consistent application of financial appeals, and value for money in service delivery. The commission agrees with all of them, with one already completed and targeted implementation dates for the others ranging between ongoing and by Year 3. The commission operates at arm's length from government. It's governed by a board of directors and reports to the legislature through the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Its 2023-2024 budget was about $14.2 million, with $13 million of that provided by the province.
National Post
38 minutes ago
- National Post
Raises, retention bonuses promised for Canadian Forces personnel
Pay increases for military personnel as well as retention bonuses and increased training allowances for particular Canadian Forces members are to be part of the government's spending boost for defence. Article content In addition, it is expected that around 1,400 new staff will be hired at the Department of National Defence. Article content Article content The initiatives were outlined Monday during a technical briefing that followed Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement that defence spending was being significantly increased. The Liberal government noted that it was pumping in more funding so Canada will meet the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP by the end of this fiscal year. Article content Article content Carney repeated his election promises to purchase new submarines and other equipment as well as improve military housing and benefits. Article content Article content But defence officials at the technical briefing had few answers. Article content They did point out that not only will there be pay increases but in some cases boosts in training allowances and retention bonuses for key military personnel. They did not have information on what specific Canadian Forces jobs or trades would be eligible for bonuses. Article content More health-care workers will be hired for the Canadian Forces and the civilian workforce will be expanded so military personnel can focus on operations, government officials said at the technical briefing. Under government-imposed rules, the officials who provided the briefing cannot be identified. Article content In January, the Ottawa Citizen reported that military staff were recommending retention bonuses to keep key personnel from leaving the ranks. But there were questions at the time about whether the government would fund such a plan. Article content Although the Canadian Forces doesn't currently have retention bonuses, the military does offer various extra pay or allowances for those in particular jobs or handling specific duties, the Department of National Defence has noted. In addition, the military does provide extra payment to recruit individuals with particular skills. Article content Article content Various western militaries, facing personnel shortages, have been using retention bonuses to entice individuals to continue to stay in the ranks. Article content On Nov. 22, 2024, the British government announced bonuses equivalent to $54,000 for aircraft engineers who sign up for an additional three years of military service. Privates and lance corporals who have already served four years would be eligible for a new retention bonus, which is the equivalent of $14,000. Article content An internal U.S. Air Force memo, recently leaked online, noted that 89 key occupations would be eligible for retention bonuses in 2025. Those bonuses range from the equivalent of $260,000 to $520,000. The retention money is aimed at a variety of jobs, including specialized maintenance crews to Chinese language analysts.
