Alberta NDP leadership candidate Kathleen Ganley is committing to restoring Legal Aid funding as part of her plan to support people.
Ganley said she would uphold the conditions of the governance agreement she signed with Legal Aid Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta while serving as the Minister of Justice in Rachel Notley’s government. The agreement provided $70 million over four years to ensure that every Albertan has meaningful access to justice, fair representation and protection of law. The deal would have ensured that this critical service remains viable and strong for years to come.
“The deal we signed reversed decades of Conservative under-funding and made the system fairer and more efficient,” Ganley said. “Legal AId serves tens of thousands of Albertans every year.
“We know people are struggling to keep a roof over their head and food on the table and that makes Legal Aid even more important.”
In 2019, the UCP tore down the agreement and made deep cuts to Legal Aid funding. In 2022, four legal aid lawyer groups started a work stoppage to protest against UCP underfunding of Legal Aid.
“I would respect the deal that was in place and commit to working with Legal Aid and the Law Society — all Albertans deserve access to justice,” Ganley said.