Absolutely. Once again, thank you.
There was a common thread in everything that was said at the consultations. When people were asked what the most important thing was, they all said we should go back to the old system. The old system was the boards of referees. Another thing that's quite important, but is not covered in Part 5, section 32, is the administrative review process. During that process, someone appealing a decision could have their case reviewed.
In the past, the system worked that way. As soon as you challenged a case, you went straight to the appeal stage. So within 30 days, we would have a hearing. The department would do an informal administrative review to decide on the merits of cases. When the Commission could not win a case, they would step back and change the decision. In cases where the individual was not right, the next step was a hearing.
It took 30 days. Right now, you're lucky if the administrative review process is finished in 30 days. Then you can appeal the decision. If you're lucky, a decision will be rendered in the next 45 days. There are a lot of if's in this scenario. That's why many of the stakeholders who spoke out asked for a return to the old system, which triggered the appeal process at the outset. This would in a way force the department to review cases in a timely manner for the benefit of everyone involved.
We're talking about quite modest amounts, but they are nonetheless significant to the individuals. Getting them three or four months later makes a big difference to them. So it's important that the system be fast and unencumbered.