HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-01-27, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, January 27, 2016
ri
www.clintonnewsrecord.com
NowsCl
Record
PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860
53 Albert St.
P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 1L0
(519) 482-3443
www.clintonnewsrecord.com
pn POSTMEDIA
MARIE DAVID
Group Advertising Director -
Grey Bruce Huron Division
519376-2250ext514301or 510364-2001 exL531024
rid
NEIL CLIFFORD
Advertising Director
NClifford@postmedia.com
VALERIE SILLIES
Journalist
clinton.reporter@sunmedia.ca
DAWN JOHNSTON
Sales Representative
DJohnston@postmedia.com
TERESA SMITH
Front Office
TSmith@postmedia.com
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GS1)
2 YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GS1)
SENIORS
60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST)
120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST)
Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a
typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous
Rem together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be
charged but that balance of advertisement will be paid for at the
applicable rate. In the event of a typographic error advertising goods
or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Ad-
vertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at anytime.
The Clinton News -Record is not responsible for the loss or damage
of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for
reproducing purposes.
Publications Mail Agreement
No.40064683
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES:
CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
53 Albert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0
(519) 482-3443
Clinton News Record is a member of the National Newsmedia
Council, which is an independent ethical organization
established to deal with editorial concerns. For more information
or to file a complaint go to www.mediacouncil.ca or
call toll free 1-844-877-1163.
We acknowledge the financial support of the
Government of Canada through the Canadian
Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
Canada
Member of the Canadian Community
Cn7Newspaper Association and the Ontario
Community Newspapers Association
Why tie snow tires to insurance cut?
Peter Epp
Postmedia Network
Premier Kathleen's
Wynne's promise almost
three years ago to mandate
an average 15 per cent
reduction in automobile
insurance premium rates in
Ontario was a bit of a stretch,
and now even she admits it.
On Monday Wynne said
the vow -- made in 2013 so
New Democrats would sup-
port a budget by her then -
minority Grit government --
was a "stretch goal':
The NDP has traditionally
taken a populist approach to
automobile insurance. And
Leader Andrea Horwath
articulated that position in
2013 when she said she
wanted Ontario's Financial
Services Commission to
mandate a 15 per cent drop
in auto insurance.
At the time, Horwath said
average premiums would
fall from $1,505 a year to
$1,279. She also claimed
Ontario's insurance industry
was making a profit of $2 bil-
lion annually.
Wynne was more than
happy to promise her gov-
ernment's accommodation.
In exchange for Horwath's
political support, Wynne
promised the premium
reduction by mid -2015.
But it hasn't happened,
probably because Wynne's
government now has a
majority and can do what it
wants. It doesn't need NDP
support. Indeed, if the Liber-
als wanted to reduce insur-
ance premiums by 15 per
cent, they would have done
it.
Yet outside of the possibility
Wynne never intended to
keep her promise, at least to
Horwath andherNewDemo-
crats, there's a reason Ontar-
io's auto insurance premiums
are the highest in Canada.
Companies selling insurance
in this province are mandated
to provide four compulsory
products for each premium
holder, and those mandates,
particularly accident benefits,
have contributed to the cost of
insurance.
As well, Ontario's insur-
ance industry pays into the
provincial health system
money designed to help
meet the cost of providing
non-professional health care
services to those who are
patients because of an auto-
mobile accident. The sum is
assessed by OHIP under the
Statutory Accident Benefit
Schedule.
Despite these additional
expenses, since 2013 auto-
mobile insurance rates in
Premier Kathleen Wynne
Ontario have dropped by
seven per cent, according to
the Financial Services Com-
mission. And as of Jan. 1,
Ontario automobile owners
who switch to snow tires are
to receive a reduction in
their premiums, as legislated
by the province.
Craig Robertson Postmedia Network
If auto with snow tires are
safe enough to support a
premium reduction from
the insurance industry, then
perhaps their utility
shouldn't be leveraged to
save motorists money but to
save lives, much as the man-
datory use of seat belts.
Memo to Trudeau: Oil's still important
Postmedia Network
Former prime minister
Pierre Trudeau once infa-
mously asked Saskatchewan
farmers, "why should I sell
your wheat?"
Earlier this week his son
said much the same thing
about Canada's resource
industries, while addressing
the World Economic Forum
in Davos.
Speaking to a gathering of
global business and political
elites, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau said he wanted
Canadians to be known for
their "resourcefulness"
rather than their resources
in a partisan shot at former
prime minister Stephen
Harper.
It was self-indulgent and
hurtful to the tens of thou-
sands of workers in Alberta
who are losing their jobs
because of the global crash
Andrew Vaughan The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a photo with Youmna
Naufal from Lebanon after a session on gender parity in Davos,
Switzerland on Friday, January 22.
in oil prices.
In fact, the written tran-
script of Trudeau's speech
simply said, less offensively:
"Canada was mostly known
for its resources. I want you
to know Canadians for our
resourcefulness."
But Trudeau changed that
in his delivery to: "My prede-
cessor wanted you to know
Canada for its resources.
Well, I want you to know
Canadians for our
resourcefulness."
That left it to Calgary
Mayor Naheed Nenshi, also
in Davos, to point out that:
"We are still a resource-
based economy. Our biggest
export is still energy. And I
do not see a path where that
does not continue to be the
case, so clearly we need to
do what we can on market
access"
Nenshi said he appreci-
ated Trudeau's efforts on cli-
mate change, which will
help give Alberta's oil indus-
try the "social licence"
(approval) it needs from
other nations to market its
products internationally.
Trudeau does deserve
kudos for telling actor
turned climate activist
Leonard DiCaprio to turn
down his anti -oil sands
rhetoric.
The Titantic star trav-
elled to Alberta in 2014 to
record an environmental
documentary and said
"we must fight to keep
this carbon in the
ground."
Trudeau also rightly
said later in his speech, in
French, that: "Our natural
resources are important,
and they always will be."
However, he immedi-
ately added: "But Canadi-
ans know that what it
takes to grow and prosper
isn't just what's under our
feet, it's what's between
our ears:'
Doesn't our PM know
Canada's resource indus-
tries are a source of inno-
vation and high tech jobs,
much like Silicon Valley in
the U.S., which he praised
in his speech?
Maybe he needs to read
up on Canada.
if it'
ocal, it's her
clintonnewsrecord.com
CLINTON NEWS RECORD — HOURS OF OPERATION
MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED
ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-482-3443 • FAX: 519-482-7341
www.clintonnewsrecord.com