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George Sweeney, Opposition Government Services Critic and
MHA for Carbonear - Harbour Grace District, is asking government to provide
a status report of the automobile insurance review that was tasked by
government to the Public Utilities Board (PUB).
"People are asking me why they haven’t seen any meaningful change in their
insurance rates despite government’s promises to deal with the issue," said
Sweeney. "The first round of reforms passed last June were a complete
failure in bringing down rates and it is time for government to move forward
with meaningful reform.
"There has been no official date released for the
public hearings that were first announced by government last August.
Government continues to drag their feet on the insurance file because of
their unwillingness to limit payouts for pain and suffering. Their use of
the PUB to carry out this work is irresponsible and is allowing reforms to
be delayed unnecessarily.
"The PC government promised the same rate reductions
and cap that was implemented in the other Atlantic Provinces. There is no
reason why they should not have moved forward with those reforms a year ago
and allowed consumers in this province to reap the same benefits as other
Atlantic Canadians. Instead, we are forced to endure further delays and
possible increases later this year while government tries to make a
decision.
"The rate freeze passed last year will end March 17th
and rates will continue to rise because government failed to pass reforms
that would reduce rates and keep them down in the longer term. A real limit
on pain and suffering is the only way government can control rates in the
long term."
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