Mr. Cote (Verdun-La Salle):

The basis of application of the act is that no coverage shall be afforded by provincial legislation or by our own Government Employees Compensation Act. This act applies only with those two reservations. There is no alternative.

Merchant Seamen Compensation Act

Mr. Cote (Verdun-La Salle):

Perhaps it would be clearer if before the words "the amount of such earnings" the words "shall be" were added.

Mr. Cote (Verdun-La Salle):

I think there are penalties provided in the act. There is one, for instance, under section 25 of the act which has to do with notification by a ship owner of an accident. There are others, but I would suggest that we might restrict our discussion to the amending features we have under consideration. I have no objection to covering the points which have been made during the discussion on second reading, but if you think it preferable, Mr. Chairman, I may wait and make my remarks when each section is called. I had no intention of covering the whole act in the discussion tonight, but only those clauses which are being amended.

There was a question raised as to the minimum compensation per week payable, and the amount of $15 which is being provided in the amending bill. That is not necessarily

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Merchant Seamen Compensation Act the minimum. The amount paid may be less than that if the wages or the average earnings are less than $15 per week, but in any other event the minimum is $15 per week.

I should like to mention now the $3,600 ceiling on annual earnings. One of the members who participated in the debate misinterpreted that clause of the amending bill. This means that the average yearly earnings should be used as a basis for the computation of the compensation, but the compensation is not necessarily calculated on $3,600. It will be calculated on the average earnings during the twelve months preceding the accident.

Mr. Cote (Verdun-La Salle):

There are penalties provided in the act, and I would assume it is not very difficult for the board to enforce the provisions for penalties in case of an infraction of some of the provisions.

Mr. Cote (Verdun-La Salle):

I think, judging from the experience of the past, that we can expect fast enough action by the board.