Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. Some time ago, in September 2010, actually, the WSCC Safety Advisory Committee started a revision of the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. That’s a big mouthful. These regulations were definitely in need of updating.
There was considerable backlash when the first draft of the regulations was put forward for consultation. There was a great deal of input from many businesses, so the board heard the criticism and the safety committee went back and they revised the regulations.
They produced a report in January 2012 which recommends acceptance of the second revision of the regulations. That report on the regulations would have been forwarded to the two Ministers for WSCC prior to them coming into force. It’s my understanding that these regulations are still not in force. They have not yet been approved by the Ministers. This is a huge amount of work on the part of the WSCC Board and the WSCC Safety Committee and the stakeholders. I want to know from the Minister what the status of the revision and implementation of the regulations are.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, Mr. Jackson Lafferty.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I would like to commend those individuals who have been involved with providing input into this. It’s a very comprehensive and complex regulation system that is before us. There has been some input and amendments to the regulations themselves. Right now, as it stands, I have forwarded that to WSCC Board of Governors. They are meeting in early March in Iqaluit. They are going to be reviewing that and they will provide recommendations back to me. From there I need to work with the Nunavut Minister responsible for WSCC, my colleague. From there we need to move forward on the regulations.
To the Minister, I couldn’t agree more that we need to move forward on this. This has been two and a half years from start to the point where we are now and we still don’t have these regulations in force. The report went to the two Ministers one year ago, over one year ago, and I don’t understand what the holdup has been. I’d like to know from the Minister if he can explain to me why a report that is dated January 2012 has not yet been acted on.
As indicated, this is a very complex document. The Board of Governors will be reviewing it next week in Iqaluit and they will be reporting back to me, and I will be meeting with the chair and the counsel. My colleague from Nunavut as well. That’s where it’s at at the present stage.
I understand where things are at. I thank the Minister for his response. I guess I’m struggling with why they are where they are at.
The Minister stated that he is reviewing something and he’s going to send it back to the board. The report that came from the Safety Advisory Committee recommended acceptance of the regulations. What is the Minister currently reviewing and why does it have to go back to the board?
I have to work with various groups, whether it be the Safety Committee, the WSCC, the Governance Council, and also my colleague in Nunavut. It’s just a process that we’re going through. I realize that it is taking some time. Again, it is a complex issue but once it’s in my deliverance, then I need to consult with my colleague in Nunavut and possibly tabling the document, then we can move forward on the complex document that’s before us.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have one question for the Minister and a nice, short question for the Minister at this point. When does the Minister expect that these regulations will come into force, considering all the approvals that apparently have yet to be received?
They are meeting next week, the WSCC board council. Then once we get the report back, I need to hear them out as well. This came from the safety council, so from there we are hoping by this calendar year to deliver that package to part of the Assembly here. I will keep the Members up to speed on the process itself.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
