Alberta WCB has been reported prior for Criminal allegations but nothing done
Here are some Hansard's from the Alberta Legislative where as reports have been made to the Solicitor General requesting an Investigation, involving Solicitor General Heather Forsyth, Justice Minister John Hancock and labour Minister Clint Dunford.
Injured Workers' Allegations, Alberta Legislature, March 5, 2003. Mr. Bonner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Justice: when
letters from injured workers alleging criminal wrongdoing in their cases
with the WCB are forwarded to the Justice department by MLAs, what
procedures does the ministry follow?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hancock: I'm soffy, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't paying attention, and I do
apologize.
The Speaker: An answer was provided. Question two.
Mr. Bonner: To the Solicitor General: when a letter alleging bribery
involving the WCB is forwarded to the Solicitor General, what procedure
does her department follow?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this question, and that is a very
good question. If there are accusations about bribery, we will forward that
letter and have the police investigate.
Mr. Hancock: If I could supplement that answer, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to
assume that a similar question was asked of myself, and the proper process,
of course, would be the same: to refer it to the police for investigation.
Mr. Bonner: To the Solicitor General, Mr. Speaker: given that the WCB is
an arm's-length organization from the government, why did the Solicitor
General's department choose not to send a letter to the police but, instead,
sent the letter of investigation to the WCB to have them explain it away?
Mrs. Forsyth: well, Mr. Speaker, you know, I appreciate what the hon.
member is saying. I really don't know what he's talking about. If he'd be
kind enough to send me the infbrmation, I'll certainly look into it.
The Justice Minister is misrepresenting the truth to the public.
The Solicitor General is misrepresenting the truth to the public.
This is abuse of Parliamentary Privilege, intentionally misleading the
public, must be stopped!
Alberta Legislative Hansard 2003-03-06 page 7
Injured Workers’ Allegations
Mr. Bonner: Mr. Speaker, yesterday I tabled documents in this
House that clearly illustrate the violation of the right to natural
justice of an injured worker. In the tabled letter from the Solicitor
General’s public security department to the fraud investigation
department of theWorkers’ Compensation Board, the public security
department asked, “Can you please review and advise me what
information should be provided from the Solicitor General to [the
injured worker].” To the Solicitor General: why, given the Solicitor
General’s and the Minister of Justice’s comments yesterday, was
there no police investigation after allegations concerning bribery
were forwarded to the Solicitor General?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
2:20
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, we’re at a question
that was asked yesterday, and I had gone back to my office immediately
after the questions and forwarded a letter to the hon. member
asking him to provide documentation. I still haven’t received that,
but I have been doing some investigation, and I have some tablings
that I’d like to present in regard to the injured worker he’s talking
about.
I’d like to quote from my letter that I wrote to the person he is
referring to.
In regards to the allegations of bribery within the Workers’ Compensation
Board, I would encourage you to forward this information,
in writing, to the Calgary Police Service. My department does
not have investigative authority to address this.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Bonner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister: since
this injured worker cannot trust the Solicitor General for a fair and
unbiased review of his complaint, who in the province should he
turn to?
Mrs. Forsyth:Mr. Speaker, you know, you wonder how low they’ll
go. Through all of this information and all of this stuff I have to tell
you that I got a call from someone, and they said: don’t get off the
horse to fight the pigs, Heather.
I would like to mention again that I have directed the person who
is inquiring about this particular issue: “In regards to the allegations
of bribery within the Workers’ Compensation Board, I would
encourage you to forward this information, in writing, to the Calgary
Police Service.” This has nothing to do with my department. I have
told him to refer it to the Calgary Police Service.
Alberta Hansard 2003-03-06
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister, Mr. Speaker: given that tabled
WC benefits payment documents indicated that the injured worker
received a pension of $155,199.06, of which he has not received to
this day 1 cent, will the Solicitor General commit to conducting an
investigation into this matter?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member has asked me a
question – this is a dispute that this particular person has with the
WCB and obviously some payments that he feels he’s due. He can
contact the Minister of Human Resources, and certainly they’ll try
and do something.
Mr. Dunford: What’s happening here isn’t right. The hon. member
in the opposition is trying to cast aspersions on an hon. member
that’s trying to do her job.
Now, he knows very well that I’m the minister responsible for the
legislation, and if he’s got something like this, then it should be
showing up on my desk. Let’s start directing the responsibility
where it is. He knows very well that I’ll take up this case.
Don’t you go start picking on some other ministers. It’s here
where the responsibility is, and you know that.
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister, Mr. Speaker: given that tabled
WC benefits payment documents indicated that the injured worker
received a pension of $155,199.06, of which he has not received to
this day 1 cent, will the Solicitor General commit to conducting an
investigation into this matter?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member has asked me a
question – this is a dispute that this particular person has with the
WCB and obviously some payments that he feels he’s due. He can
contact the Minister of Human Resources, and certainly they’ll try
and do something.
Mr. Dunford: What’s happening here isn’t right. The hon. member
in the opposition is trying to cast aspersions on an hon. member
that’s trying to do her job.
Now, he knows very well that I’m the minister responsible for the
legislation, and if he’s got something like this, then it should be
showing up on my desk. Let’s start directing the responsibility
where it is. He knows very well that I’ll take up this case.
Don’t you go start picking on some other ministers. It’s here
where the responsibility is, and you know that.
The Speaker:The hon. Member forEdmonton-Strathcona, followed
by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo.
Alberta Hansard 2003-03-10
Mr. Bonner: Mr. Speaker, on March 5,2003, the Solicitor General in response to my questions
regarding the WCB said, "If there are [any] accusations about bribery, we will forward that
letter and have the police investigate." But on the same day I tabled documents showing that
the Solicitor General's office didn't forward the letter to the police but, instead, forwarded it to
the accused organization, the WCB, requesting that the WCB tell the Solicitor General's office
what to tell the injured worker. To the Solicitor General: given that the Solicitor General's
policy is to forward allegations to the police, why was the issue not forwarded to the police but
to the WCB?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that when the matter was
forwarded to WCB, it was about a clarification; it wasn't about the bribery issue. WCB had
responded and said that there was information that they could not provide to our department.
We since then, if I may be so bold, have written the particular individual that he's referring to
two letters, one that was addressed on January l4 and another letter on February 27, thanking
him for his letter of February 7 , in which I wanted to clarify regarding his concerns to the
WCB, and I appreciate the information that he's forwarded to me.
Concerns involving the WCB do not fall within my mandate, and I said, as I outlined in my
previous conversations, "I understand that you are forwarding your allegation of fraud within
the [WCB] to the Calgary Police Service," and I again reiterate that "the Calgary Police Service
has the authority to investigate such issues." I also noted in my letter to him on the date of the
27th of February that I have forwarded his concerns to the Minister of Human Resources and
Employment.
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister: was the suggested response from the WCB the same
response that the minister forwarded to the injured worker?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again I want to reiterate that the fact is that the person that is
alleging allegations in regard to bribery to the WCB has a process in place. That process that's
in place is to contact the Calgary Police Service if he's got allegations of bribery. If after he has
forwarded it to the Calgary Police Service he does not like the answer that the chief of police
gives him, he has the ability to forward his concern and appeal to the Law Enforcement Review
Board. The process is in place for this poor, injured worker, and all he has to do is follow it.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Bonner: Yes, Mr. Speaker. To the minister of human resources: given your intervention on
Thursday, when did your ministry become responsible for fraud and bribery in this province?
Mr. Dunford: That is so typical of this member in this particular file. If we want to see how low
anybody can go, we just have to use him as a perfect example. We'll just let the Hansard record
- people can read, and they can read where he's coming from.
Alberta Hansard's
http://api.ning.com/files/nG3dXyOECRhqDjbsYh9F8OogZa2Ysl9JEdOe4it9fEo_/20030306BillBonner130pm.pdf
http://api.ning.com/files/vggr6Pblsqxn*GMzWEQ8lXwvhkyrmiDN7DCJ68eQGLs_/20030310BillBonner.PDF
http://api.ning.com/files/BdTG9r1Qc7WA8tJbYBxQqhlv47ERHGPjYGi-1m9umDg_/20030305BillBonner.PDF
Here are a couple of links that pertain indirectly to this situation.
http://abusebyalbertasworkerscompensation.blogspot.com/2009/03/auditor-generals-report-on-alberta-wcb.html
http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5621
http://www.ciws.ca/hansard_taft_macdonald_dunford_evans_hancock_snelgrove_mason_2002.htm
Injured Workers' Allegations, Alberta Legislature, March 5, 2003. Mr. Bonner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister of Justice: when
letters from injured workers alleging criminal wrongdoing in their cases
with the WCB are forwarded to the Justice department by MLAs, what
procedures does the ministry follow?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mr. Hancock: I'm soffy, Mr. Speaker. I wasn't paying attention, and I do
apologize.
The Speaker: An answer was provided. Question two.
Mr. Bonner: To the Solicitor General: when a letter alleging bribery
involving the WCB is forwarded to the Solicitor General, what procedure
does her department follow?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this question, and that is a very
good question. If there are accusations about bribery, we will forward that
letter and have the police investigate.
Mr. Hancock: If I could supplement that answer, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to
assume that a similar question was asked of myself, and the proper process,
of course, would be the same: to refer it to the police for investigation.
Mr. Bonner: To the Solicitor General, Mr. Speaker: given that the WCB is
an arm's-length organization from the government, why did the Solicitor
General's department choose not to send a letter to the police but, instead,
sent the letter of investigation to the WCB to have them explain it away?
Mrs. Forsyth: well, Mr. Speaker, you know, I appreciate what the hon.
member is saying. I really don't know what he's talking about. If he'd be
kind enough to send me the infbrmation, I'll certainly look into it.
The Justice Minister is misrepresenting the truth to the public.
The Solicitor General is misrepresenting the truth to the public.
This is abuse of Parliamentary Privilege, intentionally misleading the
public, must be stopped!
Alberta Legislative Hansard 2003-03-06 page 7
Injured Workers’ Allegations
Mr. Bonner: Mr. Speaker, yesterday I tabled documents in this
House that clearly illustrate the violation of the right to natural
justice of an injured worker. In the tabled letter from the Solicitor
General’s public security department to the fraud investigation
department of theWorkers’ Compensation Board, the public security
department asked, “Can you please review and advise me what
information should be provided from the Solicitor General to [the
injured worker].” To the Solicitor General: why, given the Solicitor
General’s and the Minister of Justice’s comments yesterday, was
there no police investigation after allegations concerning bribery
were forwarded to the Solicitor General?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
2:20
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, we’re at a question
that was asked yesterday, and I had gone back to my office immediately
after the questions and forwarded a letter to the hon. member
asking him to provide documentation. I still haven’t received that,
but I have been doing some investigation, and I have some tablings
that I’d like to present in regard to the injured worker he’s talking
about.
I’d like to quote from my letter that I wrote to the person he is
referring to.
In regards to the allegations of bribery within the Workers’ Compensation
Board, I would encourage you to forward this information,
in writing, to the Calgary Police Service. My department does
not have investigative authority to address this.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Bonner: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the same minister: since
this injured worker cannot trust the Solicitor General for a fair and
unbiased review of his complaint, who in the province should he
turn to?
Mrs. Forsyth:Mr. Speaker, you know, you wonder how low they’ll
go. Through all of this information and all of this stuff I have to tell
you that I got a call from someone, and they said: don’t get off the
horse to fight the pigs, Heather.
I would like to mention again that I have directed the person who
is inquiring about this particular issue: “In regards to the allegations
of bribery within the Workers’ Compensation Board, I would
encourage you to forward this information, in writing, to the Calgary
Police Service.” This has nothing to do with my department. I have
told him to refer it to the Calgary Police Service.
Alberta Hansard 2003-03-06
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister, Mr. Speaker: given that tabled
WC benefits payment documents indicated that the injured worker
received a pension of $155,199.06, of which he has not received to
this day 1 cent, will the Solicitor General commit to conducting an
investigation into this matter?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member has asked me a
question – this is a dispute that this particular person has with the
WCB and obviously some payments that he feels he’s due. He can
contact the Minister of Human Resources, and certainly they’ll try
and do something.
Mr. Dunford: What’s happening here isn’t right. The hon. member
in the opposition is trying to cast aspersions on an hon. member
that’s trying to do her job.
Now, he knows very well that I’m the minister responsible for the
legislation, and if he’s got something like this, then it should be
showing up on my desk. Let’s start directing the responsibility
where it is. He knows very well that I’ll take up this case.
Don’t you go start picking on some other ministers. It’s here
where the responsibility is, and you know that.
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister, Mr. Speaker: given that tabled
WC benefits payment documents indicated that the injured worker
received a pension of $155,199.06, of which he has not received to
this day 1 cent, will the Solicitor General commit to conducting an
investigation into this matter?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member has asked me a
question – this is a dispute that this particular person has with the
WCB and obviously some payments that he feels he’s due. He can
contact the Minister of Human Resources, and certainly they’ll try
and do something.
Mr. Dunford: What’s happening here isn’t right. The hon. member
in the opposition is trying to cast aspersions on an hon. member
that’s trying to do her job.
Now, he knows very well that I’m the minister responsible for the
legislation, and if he’s got something like this, then it should be
showing up on my desk. Let’s start directing the responsibility
where it is. He knows very well that I’ll take up this case.
Don’t you go start picking on some other ministers. It’s here
where the responsibility is, and you know that.
The Speaker:The hon. Member forEdmonton-Strathcona, followed
by the hon. Member for Calgary-Buffalo.
Alberta Hansard 2003-03-10
Mr. Bonner: Mr. Speaker, on March 5,2003, the Solicitor General in response to my questions
regarding the WCB said, "If there are [any] accusations about bribery, we will forward that
letter and have the police investigate." But on the same day I tabled documents showing that
the Solicitor General's office didn't forward the letter to the police but, instead, forwarded it to
the accused organization, the WCB, requesting that the WCB tell the Solicitor General's office
what to tell the injured worker. To the Solicitor General: given that the Solicitor General's
policy is to forward allegations to the police, why was the issue not forwarded to the police but
to the WCB?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that when the matter was
forwarded to WCB, it was about a clarification; it wasn't about the bribery issue. WCB had
responded and said that there was information that they could not provide to our department.
We since then, if I may be so bold, have written the particular individual that he's referring to
two letters, one that was addressed on January l4 and another letter on February 27, thanking
him for his letter of February 7 , in which I wanted to clarify regarding his concerns to the
WCB, and I appreciate the information that he's forwarded to me.
Concerns involving the WCB do not fall within my mandate, and I said, as I outlined in my
previous conversations, "I understand that you are forwarding your allegation of fraud within
the [WCB] to the Calgary Police Service," and I again reiterate that "the Calgary Police Service
has the authority to investigate such issues." I also noted in my letter to him on the date of the
27th of February that I have forwarded his concerns to the Minister of Human Resources and
Employment.
Mr. Bonner: To the same minister: was the suggested response from the WCB the same
response that the minister forwarded to the injured worker?
Mrs. Forsyth: Mr. Speaker, again I want to reiterate that the fact is that the person that is
alleging allegations in regard to bribery to the WCB has a process in place. That process that's
in place is to contact the Calgary Police Service if he's got allegations of bribery. If after he has
forwarded it to the Calgary Police Service he does not like the answer that the chief of police
gives him, he has the ability to forward his concern and appeal to the Law Enforcement Review
Board. The process is in place for this poor, injured worker, and all he has to do is follow it.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mr. Bonner: Yes, Mr. Speaker. To the minister of human resources: given your intervention on
Thursday, when did your ministry become responsible for fraud and bribery in this province?
Mr. Dunford: That is so typical of this member in this particular file. If we want to see how low
anybody can go, we just have to use him as a perfect example. We'll just let the Hansard record
- people can read, and they can read where he's coming from.
Alberta Hansard's
http://api.ning.com/files/nG3dXyOECRhqDjbsYh9F8OogZa2Ysl9JEdOe4it9fEo_/20030306BillBonner130pm.pdf
http://api.ning.com/files/vggr6Pblsqxn*GMzWEQ8lXwvhkyrmiDN7DCJ68eQGLs_/20030310BillBonner.PDF
http://api.ning.com/files/BdTG9r1Qc7WA8tJbYBxQqhlv47ERHGPjYGi-1m9umDg_/20030305BillBonner.PDF
Here are a couple of links that pertain indirectly to this situation.
http://abusebyalbertasworkerscompensation.blogspot.com/2009/03/auditor-generals-report-on-alberta-wcb.html
http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5621
http://www.ciws.ca/hansard_taft_macdonald_dunford_evans_hancock_snelgrove_mason_2002.htm
Labels: Alberta, conservative, corporations, corruption, criminal, justice, legislature, progressive, protection
posted by k.w.m at
6:25 PM
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