All those opposed, please rise.

Mr. Gargan.

All those abstaining, please rise.

Mr. Allooloo, Mr. Pollard, Ms. Cournoyea, Mr. Kakfwi, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Patterson.

Eleven votes in favour, one vote opposed, six abstentions. The motion is carried.

--- Carried

Item 16, first reading of bills.

Item 17, second reading of bills. Item 18, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 9-12(2), Strength at Two Levels; Tabled Document 10-12(2), Reshaping Northern Government; Motion 6-12(2), Discussion on Sobriety Clause in Contribution Agreements; Committee Report 10-12(2), Special Committee on Constitutional Reform Report on the Multilateral Conferences on the Constitution; Committee Report 11-12(2), Interim Report on the Workers' Compensation Board, with Mr. Arvaluk in the chair.

The committee will come to order. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to deal with Committee Report 11-12(2), Interim Report on the Workers' Compensation Board.

Is the committee agreed?

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Committee Report 11-12(2), Interim Report Of The Standing Committee On Agencies, Boards And Commissions On The Review Of The Workers' Compensation Board

Thank you. The chairman of the agencies, boards and commissions committee would like to make some comments.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions deliberated long and hard on the review of the Workers' Compensation Board, and I believe the report which I read into the record this afternoon, very clearly expresses the feeling of Members while reviewing this report. I also indicated that this is an interim report, and that a more comprehensive report on the Workers' Compensation Board will be reported on further on

in this sitting.

However, I think the two recommendations that were made are very crucial and important and should be giving direction to the government to act on very, very quickly, These are two areas that are very important and deal with two issues that are of major concern to all people working and dealing with the Workers' Compensation Board.

I would also like to reiterate the statements made about the employees of the Workers' Compensation Board. The expressions of insensitivity were not directed at them as employees, but they were directed basically at the poor or outdated legislation which forces employees to create policies within which to work and to deal with this type of legislation. Because of this, I think the injured workers, other people who apply for compensation and deal with the board, feel it is employees. But we as Members very strongly feel that it is not the staff and that we have to deal with the major issue; that being the issue of poor legislation. One of the recommendations we will be making is to look at addressing and reviewing some form of new legislation.

I have a couple of motions to make, and I will make those after general comments. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. General comments. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members will know that I am an alternate with regard to the committee. I was involved in working with my colleagues in developing the report. I want to make a couple of observations about the interim report.

One, I want to express my personal appreciation to the standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions and all the Members that went beyond some of the personal criticisms that were, at times, directed toward the staff. I think the thoughtfulness of the interim report and the remarks that have been made about the staff that work at the Workers' Compensation Board are extremely helpful to the morale of those people. I think the noted concerns that you have expressed and the recommendations that you have made will go a long way to address the concerns of those injured workers that have raised concerns. I think that once we get into reviewing the overall legislation, you will find that we will be better able to address many of the concerns that the workers have expressed, I think it is significant, and I thank the Members and the chairperson, Mr. Koe, for being thoughtful and considerate in the remarks that he made in his report.

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The government will respond to this report in the usual fashion. I am not proposing to respond to the recommendations here today, although they are thoughtful and helpful to myself as Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board. I look forward to working with the committee to respond to these recommendations and to respond to the other comprehensive recommendations which I know will follow with their next report,

But at the risk of overstating it, I would also like to make the point that Mr. Koe and Mr. Nerysoo have made. I am pleased that the committee has been fair to the hard-working employees in the Workers' Compensation Board in noting that where there are frustrations and pain experienced on the part of workers, the problem is with the insensitive, outdated policy and legislation and not insensitive employees. The problem does not lie with the staff, and that is appreciated. It is

appreciated that the statement has been made so clearly in this report, because I know that some comments made in conjunction with the review and some press reports have caused some of the hard-working employees at the WCB to have a downturn in their morale and their sense of personal worth. I think this report today has clearly addressed that issue up front, and I would like to thank the Member for the fairness that has been shown to workers who are operating in a very difficult environment with outdated legislation and with people whose expectations cannot always be met through no fault of their own. So I want to thank the committee for that, and I will respond to the report as expeditiously as possible. I am confident we will have the co-operation of the Assembly in dealing with recommendations, should the government choose to act quickly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. General comments. Mr. Koe.

If it does not look like there are any other general comments, I would like to deal with the recommendations, if I may, Mr. Chairman. The first recommendation is regarding increasing the YMIR, the year's maximum insurable remuneration, and I would like to make a motion.

Motion To Increase And Index Year's Maximum Insurable Remuneration, Carried

I move that the Workers' Compensation Act be amended prior to the conclusion of the June sitting of this House to increase the year's maximum insurable remuneration; and further, that the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board consider the concept of indexing the YMIR so that yearly increments can be made without the passage of amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act.

Thank you, Mr. Koe. To the motion. Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, committee Members felt that an increase in the YMIR is long overdue, and the committee also felt that we cannot wait until this session prorogues or the next session is sifting, so that is why the recommendation has been made to deal with it during this session, and deal with it very quickly. Thank you.

To the motion. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. To the motion. The question is being called. Those in favour of the motion? Opposed? The motion is carried.

--- Carried

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to deal with the second recommendation. I have a motion.

Motion That Minister Prepare Legislative Action Paper For Amending Workers' Compensation Act I move that this committee recommend that the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board prepare a legislative action paper outlining proposed areas for amending the Workers' Compensation Act for tabling prior to December 31, 1992.

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Would you like to speak to the motion?