Ontario drivers could soon cut their insurance costs by opting for less coverage, under reforms proposed in the provincial budget.
Medical, rehab and attendant care coverage would still be mandatory, but all other benefits would become optional.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the reforms won’t necessarily lower auto insurance rates.
N-D-P Leader Marit Stiles says she’s concerned that this will force Ontarians who are looking for more affordable options to take on an additional risk.
Stiles says at a time when Ontarians are struggling to access health care and housing, the budget fails to help them.
The dollars and cents attached to the Budget aren’t adding up for the Liberal finance critic.
Stephanie Bowman says the government has managed to both underfund the services people need.
Highlights of the Province’s actions include:
-Helping to get more homes built by investing $1 billion in the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and quadrupling the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to a total of $825 million to help municipalities repair and expand the critical infrastructure needed to reach their housing targets.
-Connecting approximately 600,000 people to primary health care with a total additional investment of $546 million over three years.
-Launching a new $200 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to strengthen communities across Ontario by investing in new and upgraded sport, recreation and community facilities.
-Investing $46 million over three years, including for the purchase of four police helicopters, to improve community safety in the Greater Toronto Area by supporting increased patrols and faster response times to major incidents and serious crimes.
-Keeping costs down for people and businesses by proposing to extend the temporary cuts to the gasoline tax rate by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel (diesel) tax rate by 5.3 cents per litre until December 31, 2024. This would save Ontario households $320 on average since the cuts were first introduced in July 2022. This relief is especially important as the federal carbon tax is set to increase on April 1, 2024.
-Helping workers and job seekers, including apprentices, get the skills they need to advance their careers with an additional $100 million investment in 2024-25 through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream.
-Supporting individuals facing unstable housing conditions and dealing with mental health and addictions challenges by investing an additional $152 million over three years towards various supportive housing initiatives designed to support vulnerable people.