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NNSL Photo/graphic

Federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser testifies before the Legislative Assembly's Accountability and Oversight Committee Wednesday morning. Flanked by assistant auditor general Andrew Lennox, left, and principal assistant Roger Simpson, Fraser answered questions on her office's audit of the Workers' Compensation Board. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

Committee grills WCB brass

Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 30/06) - John Doyle, acting Workers' Compensation Board president, was in the firing line Wednesday during day one of the public review of the WCB.

"Mr. Doyle said he can't set a time frame (to implement change) so I'm going to set the time frame," declared Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee, a member of the Accountability and Oversight Committee (AOC). "We're going to solve this before the end of the next legislative assembly."

The review began with testimony from Auditor General Sheila Fraser. It comes in the wake of a federal audit of the WCB requested by the territorial government in March 2005.

The report's 26 recommendations were a constant theme of Fraser's remarks. The account was released June 6 and advises improvements of the WCB's overall operations and better communication, both internally and between claimants.

"(The WCB) needs to do a better job of explaining its rules and procedures and above all its limitations," Fraser noted as the cause of frustration among claimants. "The people affected should not have to wonder how the board arrives at its decisions and what the decisions mean."

As well, the audit pointed to a need to keep legislative assembly members "fully informed" of the board's operations and current status.

Lee wasn't satisfied despite WCB's legal counsel, Michael Triggs' assurance to AOC members that changes were happening, some initiating from the 2001 "Act Now" report and subsequent amendments to the WCB Act in 2003 that included new protocols "for communication between the legislative assembly and president."

"If the WCB has been doing everything Mr. Triggs has said, we would not be sitting here right now," she shot back.

In an attempt to add levity to the often heated exchanges, Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod said he's often confused when called upon to interpret WCB communications for his elder constituents whose first language is Inuvialuktun.

"I read one of these letters and I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the drawer, but even I couldn't understand it."

During a break in questioning, Great Slave MLA Bill Braden said he wants to involve public stakeholders in the discussion. "My hope is that we'll open this up to the public during the fall," said Braden. "When members (of the Accountability and Oversight Committee) raise the issue of communication over and over again, that's a signal about how important communication is."

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen questioned Doyle - buffeted by Triggs, vice-president of NWT Operations Marie Wilson and Chief Medical Officer with WCB Dr. David King - on the audit's recommendation to study the effectiveness of an independent medical review panel.

King responded that the option was being examined but with certain reservations.

"British Columbia such a panel but got rid of it because it was fraught with more problems than it was worth," he said. "And Alberta has it and it costs $12,000 every time it comes into play."

Of the 21 outstanding claims reviewed by the Auditor General, 29 per cent were due to, "different medical views."

Chair of the WCB's Governing Council Denny Rogers testified Thursday that the council, "agrees with all the recommendations."

The council would have a plan by the fall explaining how it would implement changes, Rogers said.

"Are we perfect? No. But the report is not showing all doom and gloom."

Fraser's report noted that in almost all cases examined from 2005 , the board complied with the applicable legislation and policies.