08) BRAMPTON MEETING SLAMS HIGH AUTO INSURANCE

 

Special to PV

 

            Brampton residents registered their resistance to the atrocious cost of car insurance by attending a recent public meeting addressed by Elizabeth Rowley, the Ontario Communist leader who is on tour campaigning for a People's Alternative to capitalist globalization.

 

            Rowley criticized the Ontario Liberal government for failing to reduce auto insurance costs, even though they won the last election on this issue. Both the Liberals and the NDP are hand in glove, allowing the insurance companies' profit to hit $4.4 billion last year, and to earn a minimum of 12% on each insurance policy they sell.

 

            Rowley demanded a public insurance policy for Ontario, as in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, where people pay less for auto insurance and get more services. She categorically denied the claims by the companies that Brampton is the region where most fraudulent claims are filed, increasing premiums. If that was the case, she asked, why does the profit margin increase every year for the same companies?

 

            She urged residents to form a coalition to fight against the companies, and urged people to call the offices of MPs, MPPs and city councillors, telling them to take action or face repercussions in the next election.

 

            Rowley explained in detail why the Harper government is attacking Canada Post, following the footsteps of Britain and Germany, where postal services are being privatized. The next step, she warned, would be more cuts to health and education.

 

            The Communist Party, said Rowley, will resist the Tories, demanding better health services, including optical and dental care to every citizen, better support for education, a better public transit system, and higher minimum wages.

 

            Dr. Chaman Cheema, a professional accountant and NDP member, expressed his anger over the expensive cost of auto insurance, and told his experience of British Columbia where premiums are lower.

 

            Surjit Sahota, Secretary of the Indo‑Canadian Workers Association, called upon residents of Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to resist the greed of the insurance companies, and pledged his organisation's support.

 

            Prominent media person Anil Kundra urged the South Asian community to show their strength, to make elected Conservative or Liberal MPPs understand the language of people's pressure. He promised to start an aggressive campaign on radio and in the print media to expose the nexus of insurance companies, orthopedic doctors, therapists and chiropractors, who work hand in hand to get fraudulent claims and make money.

 

            Representatives of various peoples' organizations agreed to create a larger coalition, and to meet on March 9 to chart out the next course of action.

 

(The above article is from the February 15-28, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)