A well-informed Laurie Blakeman grills our new Finance & Justice Ministers on Tory tort deform:
Automobile Insurance
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, people still don't like the automobile insurance rate schemes this government has put forward. On the one side, we have auto insurance companies making billions and billions and billions and billions of dollars, and on the other side – well, I guess, actually, it's probably the same side – we have the government helping them to increase their profits. My question is to the minister of finance. Why doesn't the government stick up for average Albertans instead of for insurance companies?
Ms Evans: Well, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I haven't seen one shred of evidence of our sticking up for insurance companies relative to their profits. What I have seen is that we appealed the decision. Maybe the Justice minister would like to talk about the legal status of that particular judgment.
The Speaker: You have 15 seconds, if you can do it.
Ms Redford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government believes firmly that it is in the best interests of Alberta to appeal the judge's decision. We can't comment further on that because it's before the court.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. I'm referring back to the finance minister's comments. It hardly seems justified, seeing as the insurance industry itself reports multibillion dollar profit lines. Why is the government allowing a situation where Albertans get a discount of a few percentage points while insurance companies have had a 2,000 per cent – 2,000 per cent – increase in profits in less than five years?
Ms Evans: Mr. Speaker, in June the insurance rate board will meet again, and at that time they will be looking at the rates. At that time there may be some other opportunity to respond to anything they would bring forward, but quite frankly that is not on our agenda today. On our agenda is the follow-through. In the best interests of our people, as our Justice minister has said, it's before the courts. The rate increases are something that will be dealt with at such time as they bring them forward, or they may bring forward reductions. I have no idea.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much. Well, thanks for referring to the insurance rate board. I'd like to know why it is that of the 14 reports that are submitted to the Automobile Insurance Rate Board for its mandatory review of premiums, the government only seems to recognize the so-called facts brought forward by the insurance companies but not by those who are not an insurance company.
Ms Evans: Well, Mr. Speaker, until such time as we review exactly what is presented to the insurance rate board, it would be really unfair of me to comment. There's been an allegation by the member opposite that the government doesn't review all of that material. I'll look into that and respond in due course.
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