Yes, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure today to discuss with the committee Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Workers' Compensation Act. This bill is the result of a very open and productive process that was undertaken to introduce much needed amendments to an act that has not been substantially changed since it became law over 25 years ago.

Members will recall that a legislative panel was appointed in 2000 to make recommendations for changes to the Workers' Compensation Act and the Safety Act. Made up of representatives from both the NWT and Nunavut, the panel's report, "Act Now," was received by me and Minister Ng in January 2002. The panel consulted extensively with stakeholder groups and other interested members of the public throughout the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and once again I would like to thank them for their work on this project.

I would also like to thank the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, who spent a great deal of time reviewing this legislation. Our discussions with the AOC were constructive and helpful and I thank them for their contributions.

Mr. Chair, amendments to clearly establish the roles and responsibilities of all players in the system are included in the bill, along with the establishment in legislation of the office of the workers' advisory to help injured workers with their claims. The appointment of the workers' advisory will change from the board to the Minister, as will the workers' advisory's reporting relationship. This will create a direct line of communication and accountability from the workers' advisor to the Minister.

These amendments will also facilitate cooperation between a worker's health care provider, the worker and the WCB, through the process of early assessment, diagnosis and development of a treatment and recovery plan. From time to time, Mr. Chairman, there can be differences of medical opinions with respect to the treatment plan for an injured worker. The amendments mandate a cooperative, consultative approach to help resolve these differences. The amendments would also clarify major sections of the act and make it easier to read and understand. The amended Workers' Compensation Act will be more user friendly.

This bill will address over 70 percent of the recommendations that were made in the "Act Now" report. The amendments will go a long way to improving the Workers' Compensation system in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, but this bill does not mark the end of the process. A second phase of legislative amendments, including a complete rewrite of the Workers' Compensation Act, is needed to address the remaining "Act Now" recommendations. I hope these amendments will be introduced early in the life of the next government.

In closing, I'd like to thank the members of the legislative review panel who provided the foundation for these amendments. I'd also like to thank the board and staff at WCB and Department of Justice for their dedication to the project, and also the Government of Nunavut for their cooperation in ensuring that this bill will be ready to go forward during the life of our respective governments. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.