This release was issued under a previous government.
“I thank the Auditor General for his careful consideration of the Victims of Crime Fund and his thoughtful recommendations. It is clear the fund can be better used to support victims of crime.
“Since I was appointed Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, I have heard from, and met with, many victims of crime advocacy and support groups. We want to ensure victims have the support they need, and we are working on changes to the fund, especially in light of its surplus, which has been growing for 15 years. This is a surplus that the former government failed to do anything about.
“First and foremost, our goal is to maximize the fund’s potential for the benefit of victims, which is key to better achieving the results set out in the Victims of Crime Act.
“As part of doing this, an implementation plan will be submitted to the Auditor General that describes the work to be done to identify the needs of victims of crime, gaps in service, and financial analysis of how much funding will be required to meet these needs. The changes will also include a process to monitor, measure, and publicly report on the program’s successes.
“My thanks again to the Auditor General for his work that will be used to better support victims of crime in our province.”