Doug Ford sides with insurance companies to rip off drivers even more

QUEEN’S PARK – Doug Ford is shamelessly siding with auto insurance companies who want to gouge drivers even more for their insurance with a new credit-rating based scheme, said NDP MPP Tom Rakocevic during question period Wednesday.

“Doug Ford wants to allow insurance companies to jack up drivers’ insurance rates by allowing insurance companies to use a driver’s credit rating to determine how much drivers have to pay,” said Rakocevic.

“That will be devastating to GTA families who are already overpaying because of the neighbourhood they live in. What you pay for auto insurance should be based on your driving record, not where you live and not your credit rating.

“Doug Ford should abandon his plan before it costs families even more.”

The Ford Conservatives voted against the Lower Automobile Insurance Rates Act, an NDP bill by Rakocevic that would have lowered auto insurance premiums for millions of Ontario drivers. According to economist and auto insurance expert Fred Lazar, the bill could have lowered how much drivers have to pay for insurance by a billion dollars a year. The Conservatives also voted against an NDP bill by Gurratan Singh (Brampton East) that would have eliminated rate discrimination by postal code.

“Instead of looking out for drivers, the Ford government is giving auto insurance companies new discriminatory tools to go after drivers based on their credit rating,” said Rakocevic. “The Conservatives must come clean about this dark secret hidden in their auto insurance plan.”

“Why is this government more concerned with bankrolling insurance companies than making life more affordable for Ontario drivers?”