ICBC premiums

A bigger than “King Kong” sized monopoly man was blown up in town

Jun 19, 2019 | 2:19 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–Bigger than King Kong is right.

This 30 foot balloon was blown up in the parking lot behind Studio 2880 on 15th street by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTP).

Barron von FenderBender was inflated in hopes to bring a smile, and maybe even a laugh to people, on a topic that may usually have people raging–ICBC premiums.

The balloon was erected in protest to what the CTP says is a “government enforced monopoly” in our province. British Columbians pay the highest auto-insurance premiums in the country and Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kris Sims says it’s not fair.

“BC Drivers aren’t able to shop around. We are able to shop around for our groceries, for our cellphone bills, you name it. But we can’t shop around for auto insurance. That’s fundamentally unfair.” –Kris Sims, Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

In a statement ICBC says that they understand that there are some “serious, and well -publicized, challenges with our current auto insurance system here in BC but government and ICBC are addressing those challenges with arguably the biggest reforms in ICBC’s history.”

ICBC says the challenges faced in BC are not the result of the choice of “model” and that private insurance companies across the country are also facing challenges. Leading the Insurance Bureau of Canada to write that “auto insurance systems across the country are broken.”

The CTP have been travelling around BC inflating FenderBender, at the Legislature, in PG and next Kamloops. Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George and Mackenzie agrees with the monopoly ideology.

“It is a monopoly in British Columbia and it’s time perhaps that we popped the hood open on that model and had a look at it to see what options are best suited for British Columbia.”–Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George–Mackenzie

On average British Columbians are paying $400 more in car insurance than our neighbouring province.

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