The motion is now in order. To the motion. Mr. Koe. The question has been called. Seconder to the motion. Mr. Todd? You have the opportunity to debate, Mr. Koe. The question is being called. All in favour? Opposed? The motion is carried.

--- Carried

Motions. 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 of "Sobriety Clause in Contribution Agreements"; Committee Report 10-12(2), Special Committee on Constitutional Reform Report on the Multilateral Conferences on the Constitution; Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act; Committee Report 13-12(2), Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report, with Mr. Pudluk in the chair.

Will the committee come to order? We just have a few remaining items on our agenda. What does this committee wish to do? Member for Thebacha.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to address Bill 30 today, along with the committee report on the standing committee on public accounts. Thank you.

Does this committee agree?

Agreed.

Bill 30, Workers' Compensation Act

Thank you. We will deal with Bill 30, which is An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act. Mr. Patterson, do you have any opening remarks?

Minister's Opening Remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a relatively simple amendment to the Workers' Compensation Act, which will respond to a recommendation made by the standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions to this House on June 18. That recommendation, which resulted from hearings and about which the chairman may say more, was that the year's maximum insurable remuneration, which determines the benefits payable in respect of an accident, should be increased. The recommendation also was that this increase should be acted upon prior to the conclusion of the June sitting of this House. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that this amendment is now before this committee. I would like to thank the ABC committee and the standing committee on legislation for making it possible for this amendment to get to where it is today by overlooking the usual time constraints that would be ordinarily in place with legislation.

I would just like to say that the YMIR has not increased since July of 1988. This is just under a 12 per cent increase. The now YMIR, if this amendment is approved, will go to $47,500 from $40,000 and the new level would take effect as of July 1, 1992, if this bill is approved in a timely fashion.

I am pleased to inform the committee that the Workers' Compensation Board has recommended that this level as one that can be met within their existing budget without a need for increased assessments to employers for this fiscal year. It can be funded by the board. In other words, It is an affordable increase based on their projections of the predicted accident rates and the predictable costs.

I would also like to mention, Mr. Chairman, that the ABC committee recommended indexing of the YMIR, and this is something that will be studied by myself. It is something that I am quite sure will be dealt with in the legislative action paper which it is proposed by the ABC committee be developed, recommending areas to amend the Workers' Compensation Act before the end of this year.

I want to assure Members of this committee that the concept of indexing is something that is being taken seriously and will be studied, but this amendment should be considered as an interim step which will bring the YMIR up to higher levels to reflect increases in the cost of living since 1988. I am told that this level of $47,500, if passed, will put us up within the top bracket in Canada. British Columbia and Saskatchewan, for example, have YMIRs of $48,000; Ontario's is over $50,000; Prince Edward Island is as low as $27,000. This puts the Northwest Territories in the upper range of YMIRs in the country. It is probably never going to be quite enough from the point of view of workers, but it is certainly an improvement.

One other thing I would like to mention, Mr. Chairman, is that although this YMIR affects workers who suffer accidents after July 1, cabinet has also approved, effective July 1, an increase to the pensions that are already being paid to workers injured before this date who are now on compensation. They have not been overlooked in conjunction with this amendment. Their pensions will increase by 7.5 per cent as of July 1, along with this amendment, so It will affect workers who will be injured after July 1 and, through another mechanism that does not require legislation, namely a cabinet order, the pensions for those who are now presently on compensation have been brought up by 7.5 per cent.

Mr. Chairman, I think this amendment will be seen as a step forward by workers who have complained to their Members in the Legislative Assembly and who have made representations to the standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions. I see it as an interim amendment because we are also going to be working on a more comprehensive legislative review which will look at issues like indexing which could eliminate for coming to the House with amendments like this from time to time. That concept, and other issues that are in need of attention, and which I am sure will be addressed in the ABC committee's report - which I understand will be given later this session - will be rolled into the legislative review. I think this is a timely amendment, and I would recommend passage. Thank you.

Thank you. I wonder if the

chairman of the standing committee on legislation has opening remarks also. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Comments From The Standing Committee On Legislation

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The standing committee on legislation abbreviated its usual process for the review of Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act. This was in response to a recommendation made by the standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions in Committee Report 11-12(2) and supported by a motion of this House on June 18, 1992.

The standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions recommendation was that the Workers' Compensation Act should be amended prior to the conclusion of this June sifting in order to increase the year's maximum insurable remuneration. The reasons for this recommendation are well laid out, Mr. Chairman, in the interim report brought forward by my honourable colleague from Inuvik and the Members of his standing committee. It was noted by the standing committee on legislation that Mr. Koe's committee held extensive public hearings on this matter during May 11 13 inclusive. It was felt that this review process provided an opportunity for public input on the matter of the years maximum insurable remuneration.

Members of the standing committee on legislation reviewed this bill on the morning of June 24, 1992. The committee was grateful to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board and his officials for attending to present the bill and responding to Members' questions and comments. The standing committee on legislation also appreciated the attendance of Mr. Brian Roberts, chairperson of the Workers' Compensation Board, who assisted in outlining the more technical aspects of the workers' compensation system and the implications which this bill will carry for workers injured in the Northwest Territories.

The standing committee on legislation recognizes the urgency of this bill and is supportive of the efforts made by the Minister, the Workers' Compensation Board and the standing committee on agencies, boards and commissions to proceed with the speedy passage of this amendment The standing committee on legislation realized that in passing Bill 30, this House would be making at least an initial stop toward meeting the grievous needs of injured workers in the Northwest Territories.

If I may, Mr. Chairman, I think it would be appropriate to underscore the manner in which all parties to the passage of this bill have worked together quickly and efficiently to ensure that these necessary changes are made. I hope that this point is noted by those who might be inclined to criticize this House or our northern system of consensus government.

Mr. Chairman, at its meeting on June 24, the standing committee on legislation carried a motion that Bill 30 should be reported to the House as ready for committee of the whole. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Are there any general comments. Mr. Koe.

Yes, I, too, would like to thank all the Members of the various committees, and the Minister and staff of the Workers' Compensation Board for working to got this legislation changed and put forward here. I have a couple of comments on the bill itself. For the record, I note that the bill does not allow for increases to YMIR calculations for those currently receiving benefits. It is effective for people who get injured after July 1. It has also been noted by the Minister that there have been no increases in payments for over four years. So the actions taken are appreciated as is the Minister's announcement of the 7.5 per cent increase in the supplementary pension benefits effective July 1. This will help, to some degree, the people that are receiving benefits.

I would also like to mention that in further discussions and further legislation, people who are injured now would like in the legislative review some deliberation taken and some consideration of how their allowances are calculated and the types of deductions from the allowances or pension benefits. In particular, they do not get any benefit for living in the North, and many of the pensions are fairly small and the costs associated with living in the North are fairly high. Subsequently, people who. receive monthly pensions find it very difficult to live on that pension, and if there are deductions on top of what they are awarded, it makes it much more difficult. One recommendation is that you may look at some kind of northern living allowance. People who are employed by government or other bigger employers in the North get a $5400 deduction for living allowance and people, when the deductions are taken for compensation, are not given any consideration like this.

We are pleased with the quick action taken by all Members and support speedy passage of this bill. Thank you.

Mr. Patterson.

I acknowledge the concern raised by the chairman of the ABC committee. This issue of the cost of living in the North and the fact that our present pensions do not differentiate between a person living in southern Canada, which many of our workers are forced to do, and people living in northern Canada, presents a hardship to those people. I think this is definitely one thing that must be examined in the legislative review that will be undertaken.

I want to thank the Member for those comments. It is certainly something that I think should be looked at, and I want to inform the committee that I met with the Workers' Compensation Board yesterday. We talked about initiating the first stage of the legislative review, co-operatively between myself and the WCB as quickly as possible, bearing in mind a goal of having a legislative action paper in place by the end of this calendar year. And that is certainly an issue that will have to be dealt with along with the hunters and trappers issue, along with concerns about the lump sum payment policy. There are many other issues that have to be dealt with.

In the meantime, I think It is progress that we are adjusting the supplementary pensions and the YMIR in the interim, but I fully understand that this is only the start of legislative reform.

Any further general comments? Is the committee agreed that we go clause by clause?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Clause 1. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Clause 2. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Clause 3. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Clause 4. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

The bill as a whole. Agreed?