Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Workers’ Compensation Act to provide for a presumption in respect of certain diseases that occur more frequently among firefighters than any other workers or the general population. These diseases are slow in development and are disabling and often terminal. They appear to arise from exposure of conditions at the scene of fires. This bill identifies those diseases as listed diseases and the presumption that the disease arose out of the firefighter’s employment that occurred during the course of the employment is broadened for firefighters.
Regulation making authority is authorized to prescribe the minimum period of employment for the presumption to arise for each specific listed disease. It is also authorized in order to prescribe the minimum period before the disability that the fireman must have been a non-smoker for this presumption to arise.
A further amendment permits the Minister to appoint the chairperson of the Governance Council to a term not exceeding three years and to reappoint that person as long as the reappointment does not result in a period of consecutive service exceeding six years. The length of service that the appointee previously had as director of the Governance Council does not limit the term of his or her appointment as chairperson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Bill 11 has had second reading and is referred to a committee.
---Carried
