A RECENT proposal from the B.C. “Auto Insuranee Task
’ Foree (BCAITF) to incorporate the private sector in ICBC's
operation is a ploy to give castern insurance/ firms access 10

the "provincial

ICBC spokesman
“Bev Penhall said castern
surance companies, _ especially

in-

_ those jin’ Ontario, where the gov-'

ernment has set up a rate review

board: for automobile : ‘insurance,
the

face! major problems. in
automobile insurance business.
The ‘Ontario’ government also

wants private insurance companies:

. to establish a rating ‘system similar

“to: ICBC’s ’ Fair. program, which

bases its’ rates’ on claims rather

‘chan age, sex or marital status,

. » Fair’ took ICBC ‘Six years to

develop. . , i
“They need: our “system,”

Message i in

‘a bottle

_ SOMEWHER SIN: Burrard in-
tet or English Bay floats u dot-
Ue: containing § an important

‘message.

The bottle was cast off the ‘
SeaBus June 8 by North’ Van- ,

Nbrarian © Joyce
tos. promote

couver. . City,
Moller, right, ©

» Treasure Seekers, the library's .

_ Feading program for elementary
i students. oe
‘ The reading club runs fre

this Saturday, June 18 to Aug.

‘. Tharsdays,: but are welcome to “
“ choose books Tuesday "through

program’ on’ model

RCMP. tips: on how to; ‘search:

Crown corporation's
discriminatory automobile insurance computer system, an
said Tuesday. ;

complicared, non-

[
By TIMOTHY RE
7 iews Reporter

Penhall said,
But BCAITF

inne Noonan, 4a

employee, said

spokesman Cor-
former

insurance:or. a

Under its’ Autoplan Plas pro-
gram, BCAITF would “combine
the central features of a governm-
cnt insurance . “program, with, free

* Boultbee ;
‘developmen

~ Office  buil

ilt'on the s

ICBC”
the ‘task force's

plan is a totally new concept, not a)‘
“seturn to private :
‘dismantling’ of goyernment in
_ surance,

market compctition.””
The plan, according to BC. AITF.

would retain the most popularzin-
navations of ICBC’s Autoplan ---!

uniform class ratings, ‘community
claim centres, mandatory in-

surance and a claim-rated-scale — -

and add to it the benefits of choice

_and competition.

A rates ceiling would also be
established by). an independent

‘Auto Insurance Review-Board. °

“What it) would.) provide.’
Noonan. said, “would | be the
potential for lower rates.”

Hut Penhall | said rivate.in
surance ‘companies -can already

compete. with ICBC in collision.”
; comprehensive and. all. areas of |*
|; automobile insurance beyond the.
* compulsory $200,000 minimum ti-!
‘ability policy, which is sul! handled

exclusively hy ICBC,

the proj clin
dicates!: there -would not; be
trouble with perceived

3 - Friday, June 17,

insurance —

Private insurance companies in
B.C, .currently © handle ‘approx-
imately one per cent of the $1
billion in automobile insurance
premiums processed by ICBC.

.. Penhall said he saw no benefit to
automobile insurance customers in
the BCAITF plan. ,

“And it’s the motorist who will
have to pay for-the takeover,"” he
said.

and is headed by former ICBC

’ president Robbie Sherrell.

The Insurance Bureau, Noonan -
“said,
private insurers in B.C,

represents ~ 95 per cent of.
“So if there: is ‘ever: to ‘be | any
improvement (in auto jnsurance
premiums}, who better. to initiate
112" Noonan said. o -
. But Penhall said none of the five

' B.C.-based general
“companies
about Autoplan Plus prior to its

BCAITE has been, launched by
the Insisance Bureau of Canada,

had been consulted.
Jaunch, .
Penhall also said privatization of

ICBC: would threaten ,the 1,100

jobs at the corporation's North

Vancouver . head office, \ ‘because

the head office function would

disappear."
Noonan

conceded. ICBC

employees would “be? faced with ,

some changes,. but © maintained

there wauld be more opportunities
‘and “promotions,

for transfers
under Autoplan Plus.
Though Premier

Bul Vander:

Zalm and Minister of Finance Mel.’
Couvelier have both said there are

no plans to. privatize ICBC,
BCAITF | will embark
$850,000 campaign to promote its

concept around the province. |

rosa! North Share ‘News

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