Will where you live no longer matter when it comes to your Ontario auto insurance premiums?
Auto insurance rates in Ontario have been climbing for some time and with the recent announcement that insurance rates are increasing again, two Toronto-area MPPs have each tabled a private member’s bill that could affect how your auto insurance premiums are determined.
The two bills, one tabled by a Progressive Conservative MPP and the other by a New Democratic Party MPP, means that auto insurance rates in the province are on the docket for discussion.
Bill 42, Ending Discrimination in Automobile Insurance Act, 2018
Introduced on October 15, 2018 by Milton’s PC MPP, Parm Gill, Bill 42 sets out to end auto insurance pricing that takes into consideration where you reside, wherever that may be in the province.
Bill 44, Ending Automobile Insurance Discrimination in the Greater Toronto Area Act, 2018
The NDP’s Gurratan Singh, the MPP for Brampton East, also introduced his private member’s legislation, Bill 44, on October 15. This bill aims to group the GTA (defined as the city of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York) as a single geographic area when determining rates.
What are the chances either of these two bills will become law?
Given that the two bills are private member’s bills, it’s uncertain whether either will successfully make its way through to becoming law.
According to the Ontario Legislative Assembly’s How an Ontario Bill Becomes Law: "Private Members’ Public Bills do not often receive Third Reading and Royal Assent, i.e., become law. However, they bring matters that concern private members, their constituencies or their parties to the attention of the House, the Ministries, the media and the public. They may have an impact on government policy or indicate policy directions a future government might take."
Currently, both bills are awaiting their second reading at which time the principle of the bills will be debated and voted on.
Take charge today. Shop your rate for a lower price.
While the politicians debate how to tackle auto insurance in the province, you can take charge of what you pay today. One of the easiest ways to save on your car insurance is to shop around and you can do this easily online at InsuranceHotline.com. Compare car insurance quotes to see if you can lower your car insurance rate and find a policy that fits your needs, as well as your budget.
