Bill 6 document contradicting Alberta labour minister's claims described as 'miscommunications'

Labour Minister Lori Sigurdsonsays "miscommunications" are to blame for a document published by theWorkers Compensation Board that contradicts her government's position on mandatorycoverage for children working onfamily farms underBill 6.

The new farm safety legislation would force farm operators, like most employers, to provide WCB coverage for their employees, but there has been confusion surroundingwhetherthis would extend to things like kids pitching in with chores or neighbours popping over to lend a handon family farms.

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Sigurdsonsaid on Tuesday that anamended version of the billwould include an "explicit" exemption for this type of work.

The province later clarified in a press release that "WCB coverage would be required only for paid employees, with an option for farmers to extend coverage to unpaid workers like family members, neighbours and friends."

Buta document published on theWCB Alberta website in mid-November explaining the implications of Bill 6 states the opposite.

"If you are operating a for-profit farming operation (i.e., one which sells goods commercially to individuals or other organizations), you must cover any unpaid workers, including family members and children, performing work on your farm," the document reads.

"You will be asked to provide a 'value of service'for the work they perform," it continues.

The document was removed from the website minutes after a CBC reporter pointed out the contradiction.

'Government was not clear'

At a Bill 6 forum in Okotokson Wednesday, Sigurdsonsaid the government has always plannedto exempt children and other unpaid workers on family farms from mandatory WCB coverage in future regulations, despite that not being in the initial text of the legislation.

"This was always going to be our intent, but we were asked by the farming and ranching sector to make that explicit," she said. "So, we're introducing two new amendments that are coming up very shortly so that it's very clear that this is for paid workers on farms and ranchers."

Sigurdsonlater issued a statement by email in response to questions about the contradictory WCB document.

"There have been miscommunications on Bill 6, including from official sources because government was not clear about our intention and we are clarifying that now with amendments," she wrote.

The WCBalso says it simply misunderstood the government's intent.

"Government has clarified the original intent ofthe legislation," spokeswomanDaynaTherien told CBC Calgary in an email.

"We have removed content that was not consistent with theintent to exempt unpaid family members and neighbours. We will be updatingour information to reflect their intent."

Wildrose skeptical

Wildrose labour criticGrant Hunter, however, wasn't buying the explanation, and said it seems to him like the government is making up the rules of Bill 6 as it goes along.

"It's right there in black and white," he said of the contradictory document."When you read it, it's fairly clear what their intent was."

Hunter said the NDP government has lost the trust offarmers and blaming bureaucrats formixed messages isn't helping to rebuild it.

"Frankly, they've been throwing bureaucrats under the bus quite a bit now," Hunter said."It's really not very professional."

Read a saved copy of the WCB Alberta document that was pulled offline here: