David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my right is John Doyle, the director of corporate services of the Workers’ Compensation Board. To my left is Mark Aitken, director of legal services, Department of Justice, and to my far left is Adrian Wright, WCB legal counsel.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to speak to Bill 6, Workers’ Compensation Act, which gives the Northwest Territories progressive workers' compensation legislation and replaces the existing Workers' Compensation Act.

Act Now, a report generated by the Legislative Review Panel, made recommendations to amend outdated provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act. In 2004, the Workers' Compensation Act was amended to address more than 70 percent of the recommendations. The second phase would address those remaining recommendations.

Following the implementation of the phase I amendments, the Workers'...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Workers’ Compensation Board recently redefined its mission to reflect not only its duty to care for injured workers, but also its commitment to the promotion of workplace safety. We need not only simply care for workers once they have been injured; it is equally important to help northern workers prevent those injuries from happening in the first place. The WCB will continue to stress the importance of prevention as part of workplace safety, striving to reduce injuries and suffering as a result of workplace incidents.

To further show its commitment to...

Well, I can do that but they’ve probably already done it. So I think unless we have the legislation…(inaudible)…once the legislation is there, they’ll have to enforce it.

Yes, Mr. Chairman. I will commit to that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with regard to improving the wording in legislation and making it easier to understand, I think that this clause in there definitely states that in regards to reviewing an individual’s case, you should consider looking at it in light of the hearing from the client but, more importantly, prescribing to be in favour of the client ensuring that when reviewing those cases you are, hopefully, improving this legislation and the wording. The wording that was there previously was somewhat similar but this goes just a little further, so it is an improvement for...

Thank you. Mr. Chair, I’ll have Mr. Doyle answer the question.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the Members for their comments. I think it is important that we did build that working relationship. I think there have been several steps to this process. As we know, this process has been going on for some time in regards to the act. Now, the committee hearings that took place back during the 12th Assembly coming forward. Also, I would like to commend the Auditor General in regards to her staff and the work they did in regards to reviewing and assessing the workings of the Workers’ Compensation Board, but also in regards to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we have revised the payment policy that we have in place in regards to chronic pain which is now part and parcel of that policy. That will hopefully improve and clarify exactly the situation around chronic pain. Again, we are coming forward with legislation to this House which will improve the system that we presently have, which again is an improvement of what we already have. Again, Mr. Speaker, those are some of the efforts that we are working at. Again, we are doing our best to satisfy workers. Again, there have been commitments I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not too often you get to recognize your long lost relatives in the House. I would like to recognize Bob McLeod who is a relative of mine.

---Laughter

He just found out.