Private member's bill bad for northern drivers, Mauro says

MPP Bill Mauro says Northern Ontario drivers can’t afford the consequences of a “misguided” private members bill that is aimed at lowering insurance rates in the southern part of the province.

Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) says the Insurance Amendment Act, introduced by NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh, would end the use of territory rating when setting rates, which could up insurance costs in Thunder Bay by as much as 34 per cent.

Only drivers in the Greater Toronto Area would benefit from such a move, Mauro said Friday in a release, calling on Northern Ontario legislators to come out against the measure.

“I fully expect the northern NDP MPPs like Mike Mantha, Sarah Campbell, France Gélinas, John Vanthof and Gilles Bisson to vote against this proposal.  We need auto insurance reforms that benefit drivers across the province, not just in select regions where rates may be higher-than-average due to other factors such as increased fraud and theft.”

He’s got the backing of at least one insurance agent.

“(It’s) an increase which is completely outrageous and unfair to our customers,” said Trish Krawec of Lifestyle Insurance Services in Thunder Bay.

According to figures supplied by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, as a whole Northwestern Ontarians would face a 38.4 per cent increase to insurance rates, if Bill 45 was to pass. Drivers in the Peterborough area could pay up to 36 per cent more, while motorists in Ottawa would pay 27.7 per cent more.