Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Braden on October 27, 2006, regarding consultation on the chronic pain policy.
The Governance Council will be amending its pain disorders policy to allow for the awarding of permanent pensions for pain disorders. The Governance Council will consider options for amending this policy at its February 13 to 16, 2007, meeting.
The Governance Council, recognizing the importance of consultation with stakeholders on this important topic, undertook a consultation in the form of focus group discussions and telephone interviews. These took place during the last week of November and the first two weeks of December 2006. Participants were representatives of employer and worker associations, the workers' advisor, members of the public, and injured workers who have pain disorders.
The focus groups and interviews initially dealt with background knowledge of the workers' compensation system, employer assessments, and benefits provided to workers. The discussion then dealt specifically with chronic pain syndrome and its impact upon injured workers and the benefits currently provided to them. Finally, the discussion focused on the appropriateness of a permanent pension for pain disorders and how other compensation boards and the American Medical Association guidelines rate this as an impairment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.