Committee proposed

Premier Russell MacLellan, in a letter to Dr. John Hamm, copied to Robert Chisholm, is proposing an all-party committee of the legislation to examine broad issues of concern to injured workers, relative to the workers' compensation process. The letter was also copied to Mary Lloyd of the Pictou County Injured Workers' Association.

The text of Premier MacLellan's letter follows:

Dear Dr. Hamm:

Further to your letter of today, I would refer again to your original letter on this matter, dated April 21.

Your proposal, at that time, was for an all-party committee to "immediately begin working with representatives from the Injured Workers' Association to define a mutually agreeable process to hear the unresolved cases." I believe an all-party committee for that purpose would be inappropriate. Not only would such a committee usurp the mandate of the workers' compensation board and process, it would be narrowly focused on the unresolved cases of a few injured workers.

As you are aware there are hundreds, indeed thousands, of injured workers in Nova Scotia who are not satisfied with workers compensation. Therefore, I agree that there is a role here for members of the legislature constituted in an all-party committee. I believe such a committee should be struck, with a broader mandate than that which you suggested.

Before I elaborate, briefly, on that, I want to point out that the delay in the Ombudsman's Office review of 21 cases came as a surprise to me. My office had been assured that such a review would be under way by the Easter weekend, and we fully expected a report by mid-May. News that the timetable had been delayed was as disturbing to me as it was to you. I have asked the Ombudsman's Office to prepare a letter confirming both the original timetable and current expectations. I understand that the Ombudsman's Office will copy you on this letter.

As for the work of an all-party committee, I believe such a committee should concern itself with finding solutions to problems that plague the compensation system. Delays and frustration are clearly far too common. I am proposing that the House Leaders from the three parties meet at the earliest possible time to draft terms of reference for the all-party committee. Once those terms are in place, each party would immediately appoint its committee representative(s) and work would begin. I would further suggest that a member of your caucus serve as chair of the committee. We will require the report of that committee prior to passage of amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act. By copy of this letter, I am inviting the official opposition to participate in this process.

If you and the Leader of the Opposition are agreeable, I see no reason why an appropriately mandated all-party committee cannot be struck before the end of next week. I look forward to your reply.