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NDP MPPs have demanded Doug Ford explain why Ontarians are being forced to pay some of the highest auto insurance premiums in North America, with rates being jacked up every single year.
Black Creek—Humber River MPP Tom Rakocevic, NDP critic for Auto Insurance, said Doug Ford’s government’s failure to stop auto insurance hikes is just like the Liberals.
“Families in Ontario are seeing auto insurance premiums jump by over 20 per cent, despite having spotless driving records.
“Since the premier campaigned on lowering auto insurance rates, can he tell us why his auto insurance rates keep going up, just like they did under the Liberals before him?,” asked Rakocevic during question period at the Ontario legislature on Tuesday.
Rakocevic raised the case of Steven Graci, a resident of Humber River-Black Creek in west Toronto, who saw his auto insurance premium jump by 20 per cent just before Christmas despite having a clean driving record.
Fred Lazar, an economist from the Schulich School of Business, recently released a report which found that Ontario drivers may have overpaid by at least $5.6 billion for their auto insurance between 2011 and 2018 under the Liberals. Since Doug Ford came to office, premiums have continued to increase far beyond inflation, leaving safe drivers to foot the bill for his failure to tackle the problem.
Kitchener Centre NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo pointed to the example of her constituent, Gordon MacDonald, a senior with a clean driving record who has been driving since he was 16 years old.
“Gord was shocked when he went to renew his auto insurance premiums this year and his insurer wanted to jack up his rates by 21 per cent. That hundreds of extra dollars a year Gordon will have to pay out of pocket for auto insurance even though Ontario already has the highest rates in the country.”
“Does the premier think it is acceptable that Gordon is seeing his auto insurance rates go up by 21 per cent in one year?,” said Lindo.
Ford’s Conservative government approved rate increases as high as 11 per cent for this year – despite campaigning on a promise to lower auto insurance rates.
“When the Liberals promised to reduce auto insurance rates by 15 per cent and failed – they turned around and called it a ‘stretch goal’. Why is this Conservative government continuing the Liberal’s disastrous record on auto insurance?,” asked Lindo.
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So what exactly is the NDP’s plan? Insurance is intended to provide fair compensation and assistance to those hurt in car accidents, yet most victims can’t get more than a couple of rounds of treatment that cost less than one person’s insurance premiums. The system is a mess and wasteful and ridiculously complicated. The NDP used to represent and speak for the most vulnerable in society, but abandoned that long ago in their efforts to be Liberal clones in a vain pursuit of “electoral success”. Where is our Bernie Sanders?