Thoughts on BC Politics and More

ICBC’s top executive isn’t shy about defending the Crown corporation’s no-fault insurance model ahead of an expected five-year review by the province next year — he just doesn’t like the name “no fault” ... ... McDaniel told attendees he’s not a fan of calling the current model “no-fault,” as it suggests no consequences for drivers who cause accidents. “If you’re the kind of driver that’s responsible for accidents, we will continue to jack up your insurance premiums, as we should. Criminal and regulatory consequences for bad driving, those all still exist, too,” he said ... CLICK HERE for the full story

“It is outrageous that when reckless disregard on our roads leads to the death of innocent university students and severe injuries to others, our laws respond with nothing more than a slap-on-the-wrist and the victims are not compensated for their life shattering injuries. Cases of such gravity demand the scrutiny of a judge and jury- not the discretion of a Crown prosecutor alone.” ~~ John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of BC. November 29, 2024, Kamloops, BC: On the anniversary of the tragic death of Owyn McInnis, killed in a devastating car crash caused by a driver alleged to have been operating a vehicle without due care and attention, his family and the surviving victims are speaking out to demand justice. “ The McInnis family has a very reasonable request; have a judge and jury determine if the driver is guilty of criminal actions in an open court ,” said Conservative Party of BC Critic for Finance, Peter Milobar. “ His innocence or guilt should not be pre-determined beh...

Victims who suffer life-altering injuries in motor vehicle accidents will be exempt from the no-fault insurance regime and permitted to pursue fair and reasonable compensation in the British Columbia court system. To maintain the significant cost-saving measures currently in place with ICBC, there will continue to be a monetary cap for pain and suffering due to “minor injuries” or better defined as “soft tissue” injuries. The definition of “minor injury” will be amended to accord with medical consensus and the commonsense definition of “minor injuries”. Importantly, this policy will help to allow for competition in BC’s vehicle insurance market. The ICBC monopoly will never produce the cost savings a competitive free market will. Background Information On April 1, 2019, following legislation passed by the BC NDP, ICBC implemented a monetary cap on pain and suffering of $5,500 for “minor injuries”, indexed for inflation. Victims of car crashes continued to have the right to sue fo...

A North Vancouver family’s world was turned upside down in February when the father was struck by a pick-up truck while crossing a road. Nine months later, the family is fighting to get the care they say Mansour Barhami-Marvdasht needs. They are blaming ICBC’s No-Fault Insurance system for putting them in limbo. “His (cognitive ability) and his short-term memory were just completely, completely altered,” Golshan Barhami-Marvdasht, his daughter, said. “You can’t tell me that someone crossing the street at a green light at a crosswalk could get hit by a truck and it’s labelled as no fault. That doesn’t make any sense. It’s the driver’s fault" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Created in 1973 by the provinces first, and short-lived, NDP government of Dave Barret, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) stated goal was to provide affordable and universal insurance for BC drivers.   Instead, the insurance monopoly has been described as an out of control dumpster fire ... we have seen outrageous rate increases ... some (many?) have said it was on the road to insolvency ... they’ve had so-called ‘excess capitol’ siphoned off into government revenues ... some have said they are tired of going in to make a claim and being treated like a criminal ... and on it goes. Yesterday, in a government media release, it was announced that ICBC would be going to a no-fault formula for insurance:   The BC NDP government says they are ... “ Transforming ICBC to deliver lower rates, better benefits ” Government is transforming ICBC by removing lawyers and legal costs from the system to reduce rates and substantially increas...