Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to see if I get this straight now. So the WCB has decided not to take the direct step of going to court and checking its work out, it's instead going to go to stakeholders and add yet more months, perhaps even longer, to getting a policy that is constitutionally correct, Mr. Speaker?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Last Friday the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board tabled in this Assembly a glossy version of the various activities of the WCB in the last year. The Minister related to us the cover story of this magazine which featured an inspirational story of a man who entered into Canada from Czechoslovakia who, after a serious work-related injury persevered and, through determination, returned to work.

Mr. Speaker, I'd remind the Minister that there is, in too many cases, a very unglossy version of affairs to do with the cases of some injured workers in our WCB...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm speaking in favour of the bill. One point of clarification for the floor here this afternoon, in his opening remarks the Minister said that a proposed amendment to the Exemptions Act will raise the limit of the amount of wages or salaries that can be garnished to 30 percent of salaries and wages. So a maximum of 30 percent of a person's salary or wage can be garnisheed, or is it garnished? Madam Chair, is this 30 percent of gross or net earnings? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, WHEREAS there is a vacancy on the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, due to the election of the honourable Member for Nahendeh to the Executive Council;

AND WHEREAS it is desirable to fill this vacancy;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Legislative Assembly approves the appointment of the Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger, to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Legislative Assembly approves the appointment of the Member of Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger, to the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

So in other cases, Mr. Chairman, with the Workers’ Compensation Board where forgiveness is the logical thing to do, is the Workers’ Compensation Board actually involved in going through that process and making that decision, or do they punt their bad debts over to us for management? Who looks after bad accounts on the part of the WCB, Mr. Chairman?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, have an inquiry about item 72, North American Tungsten Corporation, a debt to the Workers’ Compensation Board for almost $102,000. The question I guess I have, Mr. Chairman is jurisdiction. Why is this item before this committee? We don’t typically, in fact at all, does this Assembly approve anything to do with the Workers’ Compensation Board, not a penny. They are an independent organization with their own administration and I guess I can’t recall when something like this has come before us. Why is it that we are asked to sign off on something that the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight conducted its public review of Bill 8, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, on September 5th, 2006, and October 16th, 2006. Following the committee's review, Mr. Chairman, a motion was carried to report Bill 8, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole. This concludes the committee's opening comments on Bill 8. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate, too, it has something to do with supplies and medically described items that have this DIN, or drug insurance number. So there's obviously some administration or bureaucracy that is falling through the cracks here. I would like to ask the Minister what kind of direct appeal has been made to the health care insurance provider to sit down and fix this, Mr. Speaker.