Concussion legislation resurrected by NDP

The NDP's sports critic is reintroducing a bill to set up a concussion registry and national guidelines on how to handle head injuries.

Glenn Thibeault would also like to see national training and education standards for coaches and volunteers, and cash incentives for amateur sports organizations to implement them.

But the private member's bill isn't likely to be debated. Thibeault is far down the list of opposition MPs who could bring forward legislation.

Thibeault said NHL star Sidney Crosby's concussion has drawn a lot of attention to the issue of hockey concussions, but that it's not just a contact sport issue.

"There's an inherent risk in everything when you play sport. And you can't take that inherent risk out, but what we can do is try to recognize when a concussion happens, and when that does happen, what type of treatment do you need," he said.

A study by injury prevention group Smart Risk found $188 million in health-care costs due to hospital visits alone. Another study found more than half a billion dollars were spent on followup visits to specialists and for tests like MRIs.

"I don't have an all-encompassing solution to dealing with this very fluid and evolving issue," Thibeault said. "That is why it's important to bring all relevant parties together … bridge the gaps between the medical and sports communities, as well as groups from all regions of the country."

A spokeswoman for Bal Gosal, minister of state for amateur sport, said the government will "continue to promote a safe sport environment for all participants."

"This is why we recently announced funding to support injury prevention in sports and recreation and continue to work closely with all national sport organizations to promote safe sport," Jenny Van Alstyne said.

"Sport organizations and leagues are responsible for the rules and regulations for their sports and we continue to work closely with all national sport organizations to promote safe sport."