FIXING HIGH AUTO INSURANCE RATES IN ONTARIO

It is no secret that Ontario drivers pay some of the highest automobile insurance rates in the country and many, right here in Milton, pay upwards of $2,000 a month. Ontarians work hard, and should not be paying unnecessarily high insurance premiums simply based on where they live.

I have introduced a bill at Queen’s Park to change this.

My private member’s bill, if passed, will help eliminate postal codes from being used by insurance companies, as a primary factor when calculating premiums for driver.

The bill amends the Insurance Act and the Automobile Insurance Rate Stabilization Act, 2003 to require the superintendent of financial services to rescind Bulletin A-01/05. Put simply, this bulletin mandates insurers divide drivers into large clusters; divided by postal codes.

These arbitrary territories could result in two drivers, living across the street from one another, with the same driving record, paying drastically different insurance rates, simply because they have a different postal code.

This will even the playing field for all drivers, promote personal responsibility and foster a more competitive market.

My bill encourages insurance providers to use a driver’s record as the primary factor when calculating insurance premiums.

If passed, Bill 42 will help good drivers in Milton and across the province, by putting more money back in people’s pockets.