The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario has already offered an olive branch to Premier Kathleen Wynne following her majority victory in last week’s election.
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IBAO extended congratulations to Premier Wynne on Friday, while underlining the need to get to back to work on the reintroduction and passage of Bills 171 and 189.
“IBAO wishes to also salute all parties and candidates for their efforts during the campaign,” says IBAO CEO Randy Carroll. “Now that the election is over, the MPPs can return to the legislature and finish the important work they started on auto fraud reforms.”
The Anti-Fraud Task Force report, commissioned by the Ontario government a year ago, estimated that fraud cost Ontario drivers as much as $1.6 billion every year.
The IBAO and
Insurance Bureau of Canada had been active at Queen’s Park in the spring petitioning for the passage of Bills 171 and 189, until it appeared that NDP support for the minority Liberal government was not forthcoming, and Wynne called an election – effectively killing those two pieces of legislation.
Carroll says that the IBAO looks forward to working with the new Liberal government to continue where the past minority parliament left off.
“In particular, we would like to see the reintroduction of legislation formerly known as Bills 171 and 189 to continue the responsible reforms needed to combat fraud and lower auto insurance rates for Ontario’s consumers,” states the IBAO press release.
Although the 15 per cent premium cut has been a sore point among Ontario’s auto insurers, the IBAO has enjoyed a cordial relationship with the Wynne administration, says Carroll.
“We will endeavor to continue our advocacy, education, and outreach with the next parliament, with new and returning MPPs,” says Carroll.
The 15 per cent auto insurance premium cut was part of a deal with the NDP a year ago, so that the minority Liberal government could remain in power and pass the 2013 budget.
This year’s spring election was triggered when the NDP failed to show up in the legislature during the presentation of the budget, with NDP leader Andrea Horwath telling reporters that her party would not support it.
