Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its Report on Bill 29, First Responders Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, and commends it to the House.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Bill 29: First Responders Workers' Compensation Amendment Act is a Private Member's Bill that originally proposed substantial amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act, including establishing presumptive coverage for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for frontline emergency workers and expanding presumptive coverage for firefighters to include all cancer types and heart related conditions, subject to a minimum two-year employment requirement. These changes were proposed to take effect on October 27, 2026.

Given the breadth and potential impacts of the bill, the committee undertook an extended
and comprehensive review. This work included engagement with the bill's sponsor, the
Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, the Minister of Finance, key stakeholders, specifically the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2890, and the public.

The committee's study focused on the importance of timely and accessible compensation supports for first responders and firefighters who face elevated occupational health risks. The Committee examined the operational, financial, and interjurisdictional implications of expanding presumptive coverage, including the potential financial impact on the Government of the Northwest Territories and impacts on the shared workers'
compensation governance framework with Nunavut.

The committee weighed these factors alongside the need for a consistent, evidence-based approach to presumptive coverage that is informed by national standards while maintaining the integrity of the workers' compensation system. These considerations informed the committee's four motions to amend Bill 29 to limit presumptive coverage to 23 cancers to be set out in regulations, to separate the eligibility
criteria for presumptive coverage of heart disease and heart injury from those for cancer, and to change the coming-into-force date to be 12 months from the date of assent.

The committee also presents four recommendations to the Government of the Northwest Territories addressing future work on presumptive coverage and legislative initiatives. I will summarize those now.

Recommendation 1:

The Committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories improve its responsiveness to public and stakeholder requests for legislative reviews and amendments to ensure its legislation remains modern, reflective of the needs of residents, and aligned with other jurisdictions. Enhanced responsiveness would also reduce reliance on Private Members' bills, which do not undergo the same comprehensive planning and development processes as government-sponsored legislation.

Recommendation 2:

The Committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories conduct detailed public and stakeholder engagement when proposing any future changes to regulations related to firefighter presumptive coverage.

Recommendation 3:

The committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories undertake a review on providing presumptive workers' compensation coverage to wildland firefighters similar to other jurisdictions in Canada, given that the Northwest Territories is experiencing more frequent and severe wildfires, which may have a corresponding effect on the health of wildland firefighters.

Recommendation 4:

The Committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this report within 120 days.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Great Slave, that the remainder of Committee Report 36-20(1), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of Bill 29, First Responders' Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

*Deemed Read