After committing in 2015 to help victims of auto injuries, the Sask. Party is now back tracking. It’s the Saskatchewan people who will pay the price with less access to the appropriate coverage they were promised.
“Saskatchewan people are paying into their insurance in good faith and they have trusted the Sask. Party to keep their promises to ensure quality of life in the event of a traumatic and difficult accident,” said NDP Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) Critic Carla Beck. “For the Sask. Party break their commitment to deliver better coverage is unacceptable.”
In an October 15, 2015 press release, the government promised to make a number of changes to SGI’s auto injury coverage programs. Yesterday, however, the government dropped two of the planned changes. The Sask. Party dropped their pledge to increase the overall amount available for assistance to those with cognitive impairment and implement a process to regularly review the amounts for alignment with market rates. They are also not going ahead with ending the practice of reducing income benefits by the amount a customer receives through Canada Pension Plan disability.
When asked about why the changes wouldn’t be followed through with, the Minister said it’s because it would have added to the deficit.
“It’s disappointing to see how victims of auto accidents are being left behind because of the Sask. Party’s mismanagement of record revenues,” Beck said. “Millions upon millions of dollars have been wasted on misguided projects such as the Regina bypass and the carbon capture facility, meanwhile people throughout the province are struggling to make ends meet because of a debilitating injury – that’s not right and that’s not fair.”