Community Legal Assistance Sarnia (CLAS) is relieved there will be no further cuts to legal aid in Ontario, but remains cautious about the future.
The Progressive Conservatives said this week they won't be making any more changes after axing $133 million, or 30 per cent, of the program funding in the spring budget.
There was talk of trimming another $164 million from the service in 2021-22.
CLAS Executive Director and lawyer Andrew Bolter is pleased. He said they weren't largely impacted by the previous cuts, thanks to Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey who went to bat for them.
"The concern is how Legal Aid itself, which funds us, is going to manage going forward with $133 million in cuts. The devil will be in the details with that. The legal clinic, as far as I can see, will be in the community and keep helping low-income Lambton folk with their legal issues. I think that's really important."
Bolter said no staff have been impacted so far.
He said they're part of a province-wide legal aid review that will look at how to best deliver services.
During a protest over the summer, Bolter said legal aid was being targeted because they help people fight back and speak out against government decisions.
