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Showing posts with label Minister of Finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minister of Finance. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Drug company billionaire pulls out of Liberal cash-for-access fundraiser
The billionaire chairman of pharmaceutical giant Apotex has pulled out of an elite “cash for access” fundraiser at which Finance Minister Bill Morneau is the star attraction – two days after the Liberal Party sent a letter to cabinet announcing it plans to ban business executives or others from attending fundraisers if they are lobbying the government.
Source/more:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/chairman-of-canadian-drug-maker-apotex-pulls-out-of-cash-for-access-fundraiser/article32694874/?cmpid=PM1116
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Car crash victims deserve better deal
Ontario’s car insurance system seems to work well except for
consumers who need it and accident victims who make legitimate claims
under it.
After all, the insurance industry is making good money.
Lawyers are amply rewarded acting for plaintiffs and insurance firms.
Doctors earn significant sums preparing insurer-requested medical reports.
Treatment providers receive good compensation for treating the injured.
Premier Kathleen Wynne received generous financial support from the car insurance industry when she ran for the Liberal leadership.
The Liberal party receives significant campaign donations from it.
But here’s the problem. Two problems, actually.
The first is fraud by people trying to rip off insurance companies with phony claims. We agree it happens and it’s a serious problem.
But what we don’t understand is why the amount of fraud -- to hear it from the insurance companies -- never, ever, seems to decrease.
Fraud, we’re told, is the main reason auto insurance premiums in Ontario remain stubbornly high, no matter how many times the government cuts back benefits to all accident victims at the behest of the insurance industry, as it did again in its latest budget passed last week.
We also think there’s another kind of fraud in the insurance industry that needs to be addressed by government.
That fraud happens when people who have faithfully paid their auto insurance premiums year after year are hurt in serious accidents and, when they make legitimate claims for the benefits promised in their policies, are denied them.
It happens when car insurers fight against paying genuine claims from accident victims, falsely making them out to be the enemy and going to absurd lengths in and out of court to deny them the benefits to which they are entitled.
Last week, hundreds of demonstrators at Queen’s Park protested this kind of fraud as the Liberals passed yet another piece of legislation favoured by the insurance industry that will cut in half benefits for people who sustain catastrophic, life-changing injuries in car accidents.
Prior to the passage of the budget, Finance Minister Charles Sousa boasted, “Ontario is the most generous in Canada when it comes to providing coverage for auto insurance.”
Last week, Sun legal affairs analyst Alan Shanoff, demonstrated conclusively in his column how this statement was inaccurate.
In fact, Ontario doesn’t provide the most generous benefits for either catastrophic injuries or for so-called “minor” ones, which can include dislocation of joints, partial tears of tendons and ligaments and whiplash not exhibiting neurological symptoms.
As the FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform put it: “The budget does nothing to ensure that insurer claims management practices are fair and there has been no action (to deal with) ... the biased and corrupt insurer medical examination reports that are disqualifying innocent and legitimate accident victims.”
We agree. It’s time to end this type of insurance fraud, as well.
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/06/car-crash-victims-deserve-better-deal
After all, the insurance industry is making good money.
Lawyers are amply rewarded acting for plaintiffs and insurance firms.
Doctors earn significant sums preparing insurer-requested medical reports.
Treatment providers receive good compensation for treating the injured.
Premier Kathleen Wynne received generous financial support from the car insurance industry when she ran for the Liberal leadership.
The Liberal party receives significant campaign donations from it.
But here’s the problem. Two problems, actually.
The first is fraud by people trying to rip off insurance companies with phony claims. We agree it happens and it’s a serious problem.
But what we don’t understand is why the amount of fraud -- to hear it from the insurance companies -- never, ever, seems to decrease.
Fraud, we’re told, is the main reason auto insurance premiums in Ontario remain stubbornly high, no matter how many times the government cuts back benefits to all accident victims at the behest of the insurance industry, as it did again in its latest budget passed last week.
We also think there’s another kind of fraud in the insurance industry that needs to be addressed by government.
That fraud happens when people who have faithfully paid their auto insurance premiums year after year are hurt in serious accidents and, when they make legitimate claims for the benefits promised in their policies, are denied them.
It happens when car insurers fight against paying genuine claims from accident victims, falsely making them out to be the enemy and going to absurd lengths in and out of court to deny them the benefits to which they are entitled.
Last week, hundreds of demonstrators at Queen’s Park protested this kind of fraud as the Liberals passed yet another piece of legislation favoured by the insurance industry that will cut in half benefits for people who sustain catastrophic, life-changing injuries in car accidents.
Prior to the passage of the budget, Finance Minister Charles Sousa boasted, “Ontario is the most generous in Canada when it comes to providing coverage for auto insurance.”
Last week, Sun legal affairs analyst Alan Shanoff, demonstrated conclusively in his column how this statement was inaccurate.
In fact, Ontario doesn’t provide the most generous benefits for either catastrophic injuries or for so-called “minor” ones, which can include dislocation of joints, partial tears of tendons and ligaments and whiplash not exhibiting neurological symptoms.
As the FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform put it: “The budget does nothing to ensure that insurer claims management practices are fair and there has been no action (to deal with) ... the biased and corrupt insurer medical examination reports that are disqualifying innocent and legitimate accident victims.”
We agree. It’s time to end this type of insurance fraud, as well.
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/06/car-crash-victims-deserve-better-deal
Hundreds rally against cuts to auto insurance benefits
By
Maryam Shah, Toronto Sun
TORONTO - Changes to auto insurance benefits for motor
vehicle accident victims passed in the Ontario legislature Wednesday
as part of the provincial budget.
“God help us all,” Tammy Kirkwood said upon hearing the news. “We’re getting a lot less coverage for a lot more money and I’m not sure why.”
Kirkwood was one of hundreds of protesters at Queen’s Park rallying against reductions in auto insurance benefits which they say will have the most effect on victims with catastrophic injuries.
The 47-year-old Orillia woman said protesters were “flabbergasted” that the provincial government “was trying to disable our resources and our funding to recover.”
Part of the changes to auto insurance rules under the new budget mean that combined coverage for medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits for the catastrophically injured will be cut in half from its current cap of $2 million to $1 million.
Kirkwood survived a 2008 collision when a dump truck hit her car. She had to be pried free from her vehicle by firefighters, and was deemed catastrophically injured.
She says she was only able to move forward because she had access to the services she needed.
Unable to return to work, Kirkwood now volunteers as an advocate with FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform.
New Democratic Party MPP Jagmeet Singh spoke at the rally in support of their cause.
The cuts affect “the most vulnerable people,” such as people with brain and spinal cord injuries, he said.
“They need benefit coverage ... to live an at least somewhat decent life,” Singh pointed out.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the government is “working hard to create a fair and affordable insurance system” for the province’s 9.4 million drivers.
Ontario is “the only province in Canada to offer exclusive catastrophic coverage,” Kelsey Ingram said in an e-mail.
“Catastrophically impaired claimants will also continue to be able to sue an at-fault party to recover damages for health-care expenses and potentially other claims,” she added.
The provincial government is also committed to making sure any savings from these changes do not result in “excess profits” for insurance companies, Ingram said.
“This is about lowering premiums while providing support and protection for all Ontario drivers,” she said.
maryam.shah@sunmedia.ca
“God help us all,” Tammy Kirkwood said upon hearing the news. “We’re getting a lot less coverage for a lot more money and I’m not sure why.”
Kirkwood was one of hundreds of protesters at Queen’s Park rallying against reductions in auto insurance benefits which they say will have the most effect on victims with catastrophic injuries.
The 47-year-old Orillia woman said protesters were “flabbergasted” that the provincial government “was trying to disable our resources and our funding to recover.”
Part of the changes to auto insurance rules under the new budget mean that combined coverage for medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits for the catastrophically injured will be cut in half from its current cap of $2 million to $1 million.
Kirkwood survived a 2008 collision when a dump truck hit her car. She had to be pried free from her vehicle by firefighters, and was deemed catastrophically injured.
She says she was only able to move forward because she had access to the services she needed.
Unable to return to work, Kirkwood now volunteers as an advocate with FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform.
New Democratic Party MPP Jagmeet Singh spoke at the rally in support of their cause.
The cuts affect “the most vulnerable people,” such as people with brain and spinal cord injuries, he said.
“They need benefit coverage ... to live an at least somewhat decent life,” Singh pointed out.
A spokesman for Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the government is “working hard to create a fair and affordable insurance system” for the province’s 9.4 million drivers.
Ontario is “the only province in Canada to offer exclusive catastrophic coverage,” Kelsey Ingram said in an e-mail.
“Catastrophically impaired claimants will also continue to be able to sue an at-fault party to recover damages for health-care expenses and potentially other claims,” she added.
The provincial government is also committed to making sure any savings from these changes do not result in “excess profits” for insurance companies, Ingram said.
“This is about lowering premiums while providing support and protection for all Ontario drivers,” she said.
maryam.shah@sunmedia.ca
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Stop Reducing Ontario Accident Benefits - Petition
If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident you are entitled to certain benefits which you will rely on for your recovery. These Accident Benefits are paid by you and regulated by the Ontario Government.
In 2010 the Ontario Government permitted insurance companies to dramatically cut these benefits for all accident victims. Now there are more proposed reductions which will severely cut benefits for the most vulnerable victims of car crashes. This will hurt victims' chances to recover from accidents and load additional costs to our already overly burdened health care system.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently announced the following proposed changes to the standard benefit level:
-$1 million coverage for medical and rehabilitation benefits and $1 million for attendant care benefits for catastrophically impaired persons to be reduced to half and combined
-Non-catastrophic benefits to be reduced from $86,000 to $65,000
-Medical and rehabilitation benefits for non-catastrophically injured persons will be available for only 5 years instead of 10
-Non-earner benefits (available for students or recent graduates) limited to two years
These proposed changes are unethical, especially considering Ontarians overpaid $840 million in 2013 and $3-4 billion from 2001-2013.
And unless we speak up, changes to our Accident Benefits could continue to take hits. It takes a lot to recover from a serious injury and many will be impaired for the entirety of their lives.
Please sign this petition, pass along, and contact your local MPP.
Petition/ source: https://www.change.org/p/ontario-mpps-finance-minister-charles-sousa-stop-reducing-ontario-accident-benefits
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Reviewing the changes (cuts) to Ontario Car Insurance: Pay More Get Less Yet Again
The governing Liberals announced Ontario’s budget on April 23,
2015. Finance Minister Charles Sousa, backed by Premier Kathleen
Wynne were in fine form that day. When one thinks of the term
“budget“, we would think of all things financial,
including taxes, public spending on healthcare, infrastructure, and
education. And to be fair, healthcare, infrastructure and education
were all addressed in the 2015 budget.
http://www.
http://www.
Stop Reducing Ontario Accident Benefits - PETITION
Be aware of the proposed Changes to Accident Benefits which impacts all of us (including our loved ones) when injured in a car crash.
If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident you are entitled to certain benefits which you will rely on for your recovery. These Accident Benefits are paid by you and regulated by the Ontario Government.
In 2010 the Ontario Government permitted insurance companies to dramatically cut these benefits for all accident victims. Now there are more proposed reductions which will severely cut benefits for the most vulnerable victims of car crashes. This will hurt victims' chances to recover from accidents and load additional costs to our already overly burdened health care system.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently announced the following proposed changes to the standard benefit level:
-$1 million coverage for medical and rehabilitation benefits and $1 million for attendant care benefits for catastrophically impaired persons to be reduced to half and combined
-Non-catastrophic benefits to be reduced from $86,000 to $65,000
-Medical and rehabilitation benefits for non-catastrophically injured persons will be available for only 5 years instead of 10
-Non-earner benefits (available for students or recent graduates) limited to two years
These proposed changes are unethical, especially considering Ontarians overpaid $840 million in 2013 and $3-4 billion from 2001-2013.
And unless we speak up, changes to our Accident Benefits could continue to take hits. It takes a lot to recover from a serious injury and many will be impaired for the entirety of their lives.
Please sign this petition, pass along, and contact your local MPP.
https://www.change.org/p/ontario-mpps-finance-minister-charles-sousa-stop-reducing-ontario-accident-benefits
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Ontario Liberals look to make big cuts to climb out of deficit
The Ontario
government is eliminating registered nurse jobs, courting labour unrest with
teachers and clawing back social services – including a $100 monthly benefit
for disabled people who work – as it seeks to dig itself out of deficit.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s budget Thursday is expected to bring
more of the same. It will have to shave at least $2-billion off the
deficit as the province looks to balance the books by 2017
Source/more:
Saturday, April 18, 2015
The Spectator's View: Insurance: We get the problem, what’s the fix?
No doubt your reaction was something like
ours when you read the following headline and story in Saturday's
Spectator: "Drivers overpaying for auto insurance: study"
More/source:
http://www.insidebrockville.com/opinion-story/5555415-the-spectator-s-view-insurance-we-get-the-problem-what-s-the-fix-/
Monday, February 23, 2015
The Crash Tested Submission to Minister of Finance on Auto Insurance
C.Sousa,
Minister of Finance
Mr. Sousa,I am a motor vehicle accident survivor and a former small business owner however,I am not a low-information voter. I am perplexed,alarmed,dismayed and disgusted that your Ministry continues to acquiesce to each and every demand put forth by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Ontario residents have seen benefits ravenously slashed to the bone or outright eliminated with no recourse.Meanwhile the insurance company plays games with rates and exponentially increases shareholder value on the backs of the injured,some catastrophically .Your government has forced legitimate accident claimants onto Social Services and require hospital care provided by the taxpayer while the insurer is allowed to avoid any responsibility and evade their contractual obligations.
Fraud has largely been perpetrated by organized crime and not the majority of the public yet you and your Ministry have fecklessly bought into the caustic propaganda the IBC has pervasively promoted.You've even outrageously come out as their boorish cheerleader touting what a wonderful thing these changes to auto insurance will do for Ontario drivers and those injured in a vehicle accident.You have never spoken specifically about Bill 15 but instead given the public your obtuse, irksome and mendacious platitudes and sound as if the new legislation is an accomplishment.
Your party claims to be the guardian of compassion but the punitive actions leveled against injured victims,including those who can no longer defend themselves,but you have chosen to accept personal cash benefits from an industry you and your Ministry are mandated to regulate.You are no longer serving the people,something you swore to do.
I will not get into issues such as contemptuously removing the Constitutional right to seek remedy in court.I will not waste my time pointing out the egregious and inherent problems with the removal of experienced arbitrators and scandalously replacing them with political appointees,that is absurd.There is little point in bring up the insurance industry's proclivity to use rouge doctors who produce bogus medical assessments.You are fully and completely aware of the widespread damage along with personal and financial grief caused by your horrible actions injured accident victims and their families will now face for a lifetime all for your exclusive purposes.You have abdicated your responsibility as Minister of Finance for personal gain while adamantly ignoring the issues that many,including myself,have tried unsuccessfully to convey to you and your Ministry regarding auto insurance.
I have no confidence you will listen to anyone but the IBC and this is largely a public relations exercise that will be neglected just as every single person,group and organization has been throughout the phony public consultations that your government held leading up to the passing of Bill 15.May I suggest that the pair of shoes you buy for budget day be a pair of sandals,they're full of holes,I have every confidence the symbolism will be forebodingly apt.
thecrashtested.com
Source: thecrashtested.com
Minister of Finance
Mr. Sousa,I am a motor vehicle accident survivor and a former small business owner however,I am not a low-information voter. I am perplexed,alarmed,dismayed and disgusted that your Ministry continues to acquiesce to each and every demand put forth by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Ontario residents have seen benefits ravenously slashed to the bone or outright eliminated with no recourse.Meanwhile the insurance company plays games with rates and exponentially increases shareholder value on the backs of the injured,some catastrophically .Your government has forced legitimate accident claimants onto Social Services and require hospital care provided by the taxpayer while the insurer is allowed to avoid any responsibility and evade their contractual obligations.
Fraud has largely been perpetrated by organized crime and not the majority of the public yet you and your Ministry have fecklessly bought into the caustic propaganda the IBC has pervasively promoted.You've even outrageously come out as their boorish cheerleader touting what a wonderful thing these changes to auto insurance will do for Ontario drivers and those injured in a vehicle accident.You have never spoken specifically about Bill 15 but instead given the public your obtuse, irksome and mendacious platitudes and sound as if the new legislation is an accomplishment.
Your party claims to be the guardian of compassion but the punitive actions leveled against injured victims,including those who can no longer defend themselves,but you have chosen to accept personal cash benefits from an industry you and your Ministry are mandated to regulate.You are no longer serving the people,something you swore to do.
I will not get into issues such as contemptuously removing the Constitutional right to seek remedy in court.I will not waste my time pointing out the egregious and inherent problems with the removal of experienced arbitrators and scandalously replacing them with political appointees,that is absurd.There is little point in bring up the insurance industry's proclivity to use rouge doctors who produce bogus medical assessments.You are fully and completely aware of the widespread damage along with personal and financial grief caused by your horrible actions injured accident victims and their families will now face for a lifetime all for your exclusive purposes.You have abdicated your responsibility as Minister of Finance for personal gain while adamantly ignoring the issues that many,including myself,have tried unsuccessfully to convey to you and your Ministry regarding auto insurance.
I have no confidence you will listen to anyone but the IBC and this is largely a public relations exercise that will be neglected just as every single person,group and organization has been throughout the phony public consultations that your government held leading up to the passing of Bill 15.May I suggest that the pair of shoes you buy for budget day be a pair of sandals,they're full of holes,I have every confidence the symbolism will be forebodingly apt.
thecrashtested.com
Source: thecrashtested.com
Sunday, February 22, 2015
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