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In protest against the seeming monopoly the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has over the province’s auto insurance market, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has turned to a unique satirical display.
The non-profit recently installed a giant, 30-foot balloon man on the lawn of the BC legislature. The man – dressed in a suit with empty pockets and a top hat, holding a fistful of burning cash in one hand and a cigar in the other – was designed to evoke the likeness of the mascot of the popular board game Monopoly.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation BC director Kris Sims told CityNews that the balloon display symbolizes the lack of coverage choice in British Columbia and calls for more competition in the market.
“We pay the highest auto insurance rates in all of Canada. It’s fundamentally unfair,” Sims explained. “Especially nowadays when we have the highest gas prices in all of America. Having the highest auto insurance rates just adds insult to injury.”
Sims added that the Federation understands that the auto insurance industry is difficult and complicated, but having to deal with just one insurer feels unfair for consumers.
“Just imagine if you had one grocery store in all of British Columbia and it was owned by the government – can you imagine what kind of service and products you’d get from that?” she remarked.
