Debates of August 17, 2007 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for WCB and it’s in regards to the Member’s statement I made earlier. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister to just give us a status report on what he has been able to accomplish in terms of clearing up some of the long outstanding files in light of the new chronic pain policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have enacted or revised that chronic pain policy where we have renewed it and it has taken effect April 19th of this year. So we do have a policy. I am doing a letter to all Members and also with a copy of the new policy so they can see it. Again, with those changes, we’re hoping to have a clear, transparent policy that people can see and hopefully it will improve the services that we do have, but also deal with the outstanding claims that have been outstanding for some time, especially in the area of chronic pain. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague from Hay River South said that a strategy without money is a slogan and I say that a policy without resources to back it up. Would this be a statement on paper? I don’t know. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member’s statement, I think a policy change is a start, but nothing will be affected in terms of making a difference on these files and the workers that have been waiting for years and years to have their cases resolved, expending a lot of energy and money and time and their mental health, in many cases, and physical health, not to mention. None of that will make any difference for them unless there is a real concerted effort to put some resources behind it, force the WCB staff or encourage them or ask them to really go through all the files and see, in light of the new policy, what changes we can make. So could I ask the Minister whether he’s done that or not and if he hasn’t done that, why not, and would he be willing to do that as soon as possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. A couple or three questions there, Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to the issue the Member talks about, this issue has been voiced loud and clear from this Legislative Assembly and it has been passed on to the staff at the Workers’ Compensation office here in Yellowknife to do everything they can to bring down the number of cases that are outstanding. More importantly, by changing policies and also the legislation that we’re looking at before the House, it will improve the system we have. It’s been some time since that’s happened and I think in order to improve things, we have to change things. I think one of the big changes, like I say, we are one of the few jurisdictions in this country that has made a change in regards to our pain disorder policy by including chronic pain in there. I think that by setting that precedent, across the country it is improving. Again, I do stress to the department to ensure that they do resolve these cases as soon as they can and ensure that injured workers are being dealt with fairly and as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the Minister’s answers but, as I had stated in my Member’s statement, I know that none of the files that I have been associated with have seen any movement whatsoever since April. So I have to assume that that may be the case, or most likely the case, that is what’s going on with other files, but I am willing to be persuaded otherwise. So I’d like to ask the Minister, because I know the WCB has been collecting cases, would the Minister report to us and tell us before the end of this Assembly what progress has been made, what number of files are outstanding, what’s being done about it and have we been able to resolve any of those files? Could he provide us with some of those detailed stats and information? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do commit to the Member to get that information to the House before this House adjourns, to update all the Members on exactly the status of those outstanding cases, how many of them have been resolved and exactly how many of them are still outstanding. So I commit that to the Member and the House here to get it back before the adjournment of this session.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In doing that and further to that, could the Minister advise as to whether or not there have been any extra resources put into place to close these files? Each file could take a long time. So unless you put some bodies in there to speed up the process, it may not happen. So I’d like to ask the Minister to have that information as well, specifics on additional resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 144-15(6): Outstanding Files Relating To Chronic Pain Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I do commit to the Member to get the information on exactly how many resources have been expended in this area and also has there been an increase. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Before we go on, colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the gallery to two distinguished gentlemen: the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Canada, Mr. Karel De Beer.

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With him is Consul General of the Netherlands, Mr. Hans Driesser.

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Also with them, protocol officer Carmen Moore and Jhillian Adams.

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