Human Resources committee  Well, certainly when you look at chronic illnesses, including cancers, what about hazardous substances, including mutagenic and other substances? We don't see that in that new definition.

Human Resources committee  Correct.

Human Resources committee  Certainly. The joint health and safety committee is the vehicle in the workplace where you have representation from both sides, in an egalitarian forum, to deal with the workplace issues. But now, when they're removed from that process, where do you have that internal responsib

Human Resources committee  Let me finish, please.

Human Resources committee  When you're looking at the makeup of the workplace parties, they're not just unilingual or bilingual. You have a lot of newcomers to Canada who will have to be writing reports.

Human Resources committee  That's not what I'm saying.

Human Resources committee  If the current definition and the new definition are supposed to afford the same protections, why are we making the changes? Why are we going through this process?

Human Resources committee  I don't believe so, because we don't know what's behind the 80%. We have not had a clarification of the numbers or the statistical information it is based on, so I can't answer that question with all legitimacy.

Human Resources committee  I have difficulty accepting that as well when I look at our membership and their feedback to us on exercising their right to refuse, and how few and far between they are, because of fear of reprisal in the workplace and any measures that employers have taken of disciplining worke

Human Resources committee  Well, according to the new changes, all of that responsibility will be left with the minister, so is the minister then going to be responsible for that?

Human Resources committee  What does that mean to an average worker? What's the education going to be to the average worker? What does that mean?

Human Resources committee  Well, if they don't know what it means, how are they going to be able...? If they're not educated on it, how are they going to be able to exercise their right to refuse, and then start writing the report that needs to be done according to the new changes?

Human Resources committee  That's correct.

Human Resources committee  Prevention is always a good thing. However, the changes proposed here do not address the participation of all of the workplace parties. A lot of the participatory nature, the internal responsibility system in the workplace, the balance of power, so to speak, is being recrafted. S

Human Resources committee  No.