This is page numbers 6699 – 6756 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. We want it to be comparable to other provincial and territorial jurisdictions across Canada. We are covering the majority of diseases throughout Canada. We want to be compatible to other jurisdictions and part of the reason why, obviously, we brought forward our discussion with ENR, as I stated in my statement, is due to a fact that committee members want for us to explore further with that department to recognize forest firefighters and why they’re excluded or they should be included. So, those are discussions that we’ve been having and if we need to make changes, we will be making those changes. Mahsi.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I thank the Minister for that answer. Were there any requested issues, such as disease, ailments, asked for by the firefighters that did not make the final cut of the lists of amendments proposed by the department? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Those diseases that were identified, five categories, have been highlighted by the firefighters and they have been included into legislation and we haven’t excluded any of the diseases otherwise highlighted. Mahsi.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

The last question I have is, obviously, it was a collective push, certainly by the Yellowknife firefighters and the Association of Firefighters of Canada and certainly they worked, well, obviously with WSCC in order to get this on the government’s agenda in order to make the amendments. My question would be when we were initially approached by this initiative. I’m just trying to get a sense of how well things worked and rolled out in the sense from the original contact we can do this and the amendment we have before us today. I’m just trying to get a sense of how responsive the WSCC had been to the particular issues presented by the firefighters. Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

The first discussion was in March, and as a result, we’ve been in contact, and also vice versa, with the Manitoba board, so the discussion took place from there. We wanted to expedite the process, so we involved firefighters to get their perspective as well. If I’ve missed out on the key topics or detail, I can get Mr. Grundy to elaborate more.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Grundy.

Grundy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We initiated this based on, as the Minister said, the Manitoba board which contacted us and they were supportive of other boards taking the firefighters’ cases on. We had initial discussions with them. We then looked at the firefighters’ cases. We held a meeting here in Yellowknife with the International Firefighters’ Association and the local firefighters’ association and were able to agree 100 percent on what needed to be added and we are consistent with the rest of the country and they were very pleased with the cancers that are involved. As the science gets better, if there are other cancers that are identified, certainly then they would be added as well.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Grundy. Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s unusual to hear a criticism of timing in this regard, but that was pretty fast. It doesn’t usually work that fast. Maybe more for me, as opposed to the public, but that said, it would probably help the public as well. Why so fast? It’s unusual to have an amendment brought forward so quickly. Was it because it’s a trend across Canada or is it because it was something you had been eyeing before or something else that came into play? I mean, to be honest, it’s quite remarkable to have something proposed in March, unless it’s the gravest emergency that we have to make some quick and swift changes to, so maybe someone can highlight that. Because, like I said, it’s extremely unusual for us to move this quickly. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. When we first heard it in March, and obviously there was a request from firefighters that this is an urgent matter that we need to deal with immediately, we listened to the firefighters. Due to the urgency of the situation, we fast-tracked it and here we are today, making those changes, adding five categories of diseases. Mr. Chair, mahsi.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Hawkins.

Committee Motion 146-17(5): Bill 64: An Act To Amend The Co-Operative Associations Act - Amendment To Clause 23, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

October 6th, 2015

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess the last area was concerned about timing and, again, like I say, I’m not criticizing how fast it is, it’s just exceptionally unusual how swiftly it moved. Was there any particular liability issues on why it had to move so quickly? Was there a legal movement swell elsewhere across Canada or some type of mechanisms of a similar nature? Again, I just find it extremely pleasing but unusual that it moved so quickly. To hear the firefighters route an important issue is not to downplay the importance of the issue or certainly the organization. I hear all the time how things are critical and important, but it’s like a millstone wrapped around its neck; it just drags and moves and time goes by. So, I’m just trying to understand now any type of legal pressure or liability pressure, groundswell of some type of organization that change in the paradigm for this. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. We’ll go to Mr. Grundy.

Grundy

Thank you Mr. Chair. There was no pressure put on our board to do this. There was encouragement from the Manitoba board, who actually was the first board to deal with this because the International Firefighters’ Association is out of that area. So, they certainly encouraged all the boards of the country to take up that and add those cancers on.

As for liabilities to the organization, we were also, at the same time, looking at our latent occupational disease liabilities which we had to add on to our bottom line from a financial accounting perspective. So, it made total sense that it would all fall in line once we got that, and it did move very quickly and they were very happy with the way it’s unfolding.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I am pretty confident this will be my last question, which is the underlying cost of this situation. I’ve been around for some time and I’ve yet to hear an employer say how they enjoy paying WSCC premiums and they always say they pay too much. Whether that’s true or not is not necessarily for me to say; the actuary folks make those types of decisions. They have a science behind it. Again, I’m not in the right position to say agree or whatnot. I just find it confusing and let them deal with that.

That said, I’m curious on the change and that projected cost. What is the big change right now, because obviously you can’t be adding more coverage without adding a financial component to it. So, the main question really is built around how much is changing in a sense of the rates? How does this financially change the industry? Do we foresee – and I’m hopeful, but first knock on wood – that we don’t get a call upon this, but what type of liability does WSCC foresee in this particular problem going forward? I think you kind of understand where I’m going so I’ll leave it to you, and that’s really my last area, is how much this is going to cost those who pay and certainly what does the system expect to be considered normal.

Grundy

There’s a cost. What happened, the change in the accounting procedures, we were advised by the Auditor General that we had to look after, we had to actually book our latent occupational diseases now. That is, like, from 50 to 60 years ago to the miners that may have come in contact with asbestos and things like that. This was the last year we had to get that done. Fortunately, we are in a healthy position financially, and by adding all the latent occupational diseases on, plus the firefighters, that was a total cost to the system of $25.8 million. Now, we’re confident that that’s on the books now and will remain there. The firefighters were actually about a $3 million addition to the $25 million. So, our actuaries are confident that we are not going to have to add any more money to it. This did not affect the rates at all and it won’t affect the rates unless we become in a compromised position for funding, which I don’t anticipate is going to happen. From an employer point of view, it didn’t affect the rates and now we have everybody covered.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Grundy. General comments. Is committee prepared to go clause by clause?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Committee, I would turn your attention to the bill. The bill is only three clauses. We’ll defer the bill title until the end. So, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 through 3 inclusive approved

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

The bill as a whole.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Does committee agree that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, is ready for third reading?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. I’d like to thank Minister Lafferty, Mr. Grundy and Ms. Murphy. Thank you for joining us this evening. If I can get the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses out of the House, please.

Committee, continuing on with our duties for this evening, we’re going to turn our attention to Bill 49, An Act to Amend the Deh Cho Bridge Act. With that, we’ll turn it over to the Minister responsible. Mr. Beaulieu.