Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do have some prepared remarks that I'll read briefly, which should cover the issues.
First of all, thank you for the opportunity. The health and safety of our members are crucial considerations in the work we do. Every day, our members get put in harm's way, and it is our responsibility—indeed, it is my duty—to take care of them when they are injured.
Our members have been covered under provincial and territorial basic health care plans since April 1, 2013. These plans do not cover occupational injuries or illnesses. The RCMP has been administering these occupational injury claims internally.
However, as Minister Goodale noted in his opening comments to the committee on April 12, the employer should not be the final arbiter of whether the injury of one of its employees occurred on the job or not, nor of what types of benefits he or she is entitled to, to support recovery.
Provincial workers' compensation boards are leaders in providing care to injured workers. They have vast experience in working with police service organizations, provincially and municipally. RCMP members would receive uninterrupted, dedicated, and responsive treatment similar to what they currently have.
The RCMP will, through its internal disability management program, work with these provincial boards to ensure that the specific demands of RCMP members are clearly communicated and that return-to-work planning reflects the physical and psychological requirements of today's front-line policing.
If members need to be relocated before the end of their care, which is not uncommon for other federal employers covered by GECA, members would continue to receive care from the workers' compensation board in their new duty location.
The RCMP will pay the full cost of all expenses associated with a member's claim, plus an administrative fee to the workers' compensation board.
We want to get this right. That is why we, with the full support of our contract partners, meaning the provinces, territories, and municipalities we serve, have asked for these provisions to come into force at a date to be fixed by an order in council, so that we can continue our work with Employment and Social Development Canada's labour program, as well as workers' compensation boards and Veterans Affairs Canada, to ensure a smooth transition for our members.
This significant legislation will allow the RCMP to focus our efforts on our core mandate, the primacy of our police operations and what we do best, which is to protect Canadians.
Thank you.