Insurance Bureau of Canada welcomes passing of Alberta's Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance Act
Government needs to move urgently to implement new model by 2027
EDMONTON, AB, May 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance Act, was given Royal Assent in the Alberta legislature. After the legislation was passed into law, Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), issued the following statement:
"Alberta's insurers congratulate the government on the passage of Bill 47 and the Care-First model, which represents the most ambitious transformation of the auto insurance system in provincial history. The government must now move urgently to finalize regulatory details of the new model to have it in place by January 2027.
"For the system to be successful and deliver savings to Alberta drivers, the government will need to strike a balance between the benefits provided to those injured in collisions and the amount of litigation that remains in the system. The evidence is clear – the more lawyers are involved in the auto insurance system, the less money drivers will save. To ensure long-lasting affordability, the government must remain steadfast in eliminating the sky-high legal costs plaguing the current system.
"Fixing the challenges in the current system will be critical to the success of the new auto insurance model. Alberta's insurers are now in the third consecutive year of government rate caps and are paying out $1.17 in claims and expenses for every $1 earned in premiums. This is not sustainable. The rate cap has undermined the competitive market, forcing some insurers to leave the Alberta market altogether and causing confusion and frustration for drivers, who increasingly face challenges securing the coverage they need.
"As Alberta designs its new auto insurance system, it must work to attract auto insurers back to the province by leaving rate-setting to insurers, cutting red tape and letting the competitive market create the conditions for lasting affordability.
"Alberta's insurers are eager to be part of the solution and will continue to put forward ideas on how to improve care and affordability for drivers today and in the future."
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market.
As the leading advocate for Canada's private P&C insurers, IBC collaborates with governments, regulators and stakeholders to support a competitive environment for the P&C insurance industry to continue to help protect Canadians from the risks of today and tomorrow.
IBC believes that Canadians value and deserve a responsive and resilient private P&C insurance industry that provides insurance solutions to both individuals and businesses.
For media releases, IN Focus articles, or to book an interview with an IBC representative, visit ibc.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Border bill primed to give Mark Carney's government sweeping new powers. Who asked for this?
It was 'elbows up' during the federal election campaign as Mark Carney's Liberals portrayed themselves as fierce fighters against U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration's slide towards authoritarianism. But now it's 'elbows down' as the prime minister's new government tries to appease Trump's White House and puts Canadians' privacy rights and those of asylum seekers on the chopping block. The 'Strong Borders Act,' a sweeping omnibus bill was tabled Tuesday. It has 16 parts, and amends more than a dozen laws in ways that affect the rights of citizens and non-citizens, measures that Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated were a response to 'some of the concerns that have been posed by the White House.' But it also includes long-standing requests by Canadian law enforcement agencies who waited for an opportune time to slide through legislative changes.
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Carney says he'll ‘take note' of opposition motion to table a spring economic update
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney said he will 'take note' of the successful opposition motion to add language calling for a spring economic update to the throne speech, but did not say when or how that will happen. 'We take note of last night's motion. But what Canadians deserve … what Canadian provinces deserve is a health care transfer, a transfer for child care, a transfer for dental care and a transfer to support affordability. That's what's in the main estimates and we expect the support of members opposite,' Carney said during question period Tuesday. The government last week tabled main spending estimates worth nearly $487 billion. MPs will be required to vote on the estimates to keep government operations running into the summer. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Conservative and Bloc MPs used their time during question period Tuesday to press the government to table a budget so they know what the government's finances look like before voting on more spending. Asked about tabling a spring budget or an economic update, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said he's 'already talked about that.' Champagne has said that the government is working toward a fall budget. Speaking before the Liberal cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, government whip Mark Gerretsen insisted nothing went wrong on Monday when opposition parties successfully amended the throne speech to call on the government to table an economic update before Parliament breaks for the summer. The Liberals were defeated 166 to 164 on that vote. Four Liberal Liberal MPs did not vote because of paired abstentions, which happen when parties agree to have a member sit out a vote because someone from another party is not able to attend. Gerretsen told reporters on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning that everything went according to plan. 'Every single person who was supposed to vote yesterday voted,' he said. The amendment, tabled by House of Commons Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer, added a passage to the throne speech calling for a spring economic update. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The amendment said that update should include the government's plan to 'unleash Canada's economic potential' and explain how it will respect provincial jurisdiction and Indigenous rights. The amendment includes language inserted by the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, and all three opposition parties voted to support it. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Tuesday the vote that really matters is the confidence motion on adopting the throne speech, set for Wednesday. 'It was a non-binding advisory resolution of the House of Commons. I suspect you're going to see a lot more of them,' MacKinnon said. 'I think the note said 'urge' and we'll take note of having been urged.' The minority Liberal government has 169 MPs, including House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia — who does not vote, except in the event of a tie. That leaves the Liberals four votes shy of a majority, meaning they have to work with other parties to pass legislation and survive confidence motions. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The NDP, which had a supply-and-confidence agreement with the previous Liberal government, has said it will not enter a formal arrangement to support Prime Minister Carney's government. The NDP was reduced to seven MPs in the recent election but could still hold the balance of power. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party's 144 MPs will not 'reflexively oppose' the government and will support measures that improve the status quo. But the Conservatives also have been highly critical of the government's plan to delay introducing a budget — traditionally released in the spring — until this fall. — With files from Sarah Ritchie This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
West Kelowna food bank expands to meet growing needs
The food bank in West Kelowna, B.C., has doubled in size to meet the growing needs of the community. 'This is a huge day for us,' said Trevor Moss, the Central Okanagan Food Bank's CEO. Located at 3710 Hoskins Rd,, the new 3,700-square-foot food bank was celebrated at a grand opening on Tuesday. The new space allows for increased food storage capabilities as more people access services. 'Year over year there was a 31 per cent increase in West Kelowna in clients accessing the food bank,' Moss said. 'That's unfortunately tremendous growth,' Moss said. Moss said the West Kelowna location is seeing nearly 70 new households access services every month. 'There always used to be a safety net out there. I think that safety net has been removed and people are now just hanging onto the ropes,' Moss said. 'That's what's happening in our society. This is what's happening in our economy.' Story continues below advertisement 1:08 Canadians cut back on charity as economic pressures mount Lee Taylor is a senior on a fixed income and has come to rely on the food bank to help make ends meet. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'What do you do? You got to eat,' Taylor said. Nancy Nickel has volunteered with the organization for 36 years and has seen the demand grow first hand. 'I'm sad but I just want to be there to help them and if they need a hug, I want to be here to give it because there is a lot of sadness out there,' Nickel told Global News. The food bank in West Kelowna was one of the first food banks to open in Canada in 1982. Called Robes, Loaves and Fishes, the food bank began operating out of the Emmanuel Church on Hebert Road. Story continues below advertisement 'It was a starting point and we could help people and it grew from there,' said Nickel as she described those early days operating the food bank out of a closet-sized room. 4:22 Grocery prices set to rise The first food bank in the country opened in Edmonton in 1981. 'One of the reasons why food banks were started up was just to to meet that immediate need,' Moss said. 'I don't think anyone realized that, even to this day, that people would need us as much as they do.' The Central Okanagan Food Bank has leased the new West Kelowna location and is working towards building it's own, permanent facility in the coming years.
