The Yukon Party government is showing a lack of leadership regarding the review of the Workers' Compensation Act, Jim Brohman, chair of the workers advisory committee, said today.

'To date, there has not been one single meeting held by the committee reviewing the act with either labour or business,' he told a news conference.

'Even though (Ralph McGinn) is now preparing options for the panel, there has still been no consultations. So we don't think that Mr. (Patrick) Rouble, the chair of that panel, understands what consultations mean and if he does, he certainly has no commitment to enter into consultations.'

Rouble, a Yukon Party MLA, insists the various stakeholders have had an opportunity to consult with the panel, said Brohman.

However, he argued those opportunities have only existed on paper.

'We're asking (Premier) Dennis Fentie to remove Patrick Rouble as the chair of the committee,' said Brohman. 'We feel that's the only way the committee can move forward.'

The government has been reviewing the Workers' Compensation Act for more than two years. The act is meant to help protect workers and employers from workplace injury and illness.

There are 88 issues being reviewed in the act. They include age limitations of claimants, termination of benefits and meditation.

There is nothing simple about reviewing the Workers' Compensation Act, Rouble said today.

'The panel is looking at ways to revise the act to best serve all stakeholders,' he said.

A letter addressed to Rouble from Brohman and Donna Mercier, chair of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, states:

'It is now almost 2 1/2 years since the review of the Workers' Compensation Act commenced and there have yet to be any meetings where stakeholders have an opportunity to discuss the issues with the panel.'

But Rouble said the stakeholders have had ample opportunity to present their issues in regard to the act.

All stakeholders were asked for input, he said. They had the opportunity to present their concerns by voice mail, e-mail and in writing, he said.

The panel wanted the issues presented in writing to make sure they were all given adequate documentation and clarification, he added.

Brohman said this kind of 'paper transfer' cannot be considered consultations.

'This behaviour is typical when we talk about the Workers' Compensation Act review,' said Alex Furlong, president of the Yukon Federation of Labour.

'Our current frustration is a result of avoidance behaviour and the lack of respect for genuine consultation to stakeholders. Once again, this government has chosen to ignore stakeholders in a process.'

Consultations must include an opportunity for the panel and the various stakeholders to sit together in the same room and speak with each to ask questions and to present solutions, said Brohman.

He and Mercier asked for the opportunity to meet with McGinn, the B.C.-based consultant hired to help with the review, while he was in Whitehorse this week. However, they did not get to talk with him, said Brohman.

McGinn, a former chief executive officer of British Columbia's Workers' Compensation Board, is reviewing the 88 issues that have been submitted and is working at creating options for solutions.

McGinn is expected to release his report within the next four weeks, said Rouble.

However, the consultations will still not be called right away, because Rouble says the stakeholders have repeatedly told him they do not want consultations in the middle of the summer.

Rouble expects there will be the opportunity for consultations in the fall. He added that the timeframe will permit stakeholders to read and digest the information in the report.

The consultations in the fall will give the panel the opportunity to again hear the issues, to see the solutions presented by McGinn as well as any other solutions from the stakeholders, said Rouble. The panel will then have to go back and 'mull over' what they've heard, he said.

Rouble added the process is striving to be open and transparent. But Brohman said they are operating in 'secrecy.'

'We encourage the panel to incorporate our feedback into the review process so that it is supported by the stakeholders and does not become a process driven from the top down,' said Broham's and Mercier's letter.