A PRETTY PENNY
A recent report from Alberta’s superintendent of insurance shows that insurers in the province earned $1.32 billion more in premiums than they paid in claims in 2020, representing a widening gap between premiums and claim payouts.
According to the Superintendent of Insurance 2020 Annual Report, Albertan insurers collected $5.81 billion, about $400 million more than the previous year, while claims totalled $4.49 billion, about $200 million less.
The report observed the steady decline of the province’s claims ratio over the past several years, noting a downward trend from 87 percent in 2016 to 77 percent in 2020. A claims ratio represents the relationship between paid claim settlements and collected premium fees. Alberta’s official opposition, the New Democratic Party (NDP), contends that these high profits are a result of United Conservative Party (UCP) government’s 2019 scrapping of a rate increase cap on auto insurers.
“Insurance companies have been generating massive profits off Alberta drivers, and they’re doing it with the UCP’s help,” said NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley. “In 2020, the car insurance industry charged Alberta drivers $385 million more in premiums than they did in 2019. That’s $385 million in additional premiums. That’s $385 million more out of the pockets of Alberta drivers in a single year.”
Finance Minister Travis Toews’ press secretary, Kassandra Kitz, asserts that the rate cap forced drivers to have to pay their premiums a year in advance, instead of month-to-month, which ended up causing a five percent rate increase anyway. The UCP government introduced Bill 41 in 2020 to update the way insurance premiums are calculated. “We introduced Bill 41 last session that made legislative and regulatory changes to stabilize auto insurance rates, enhance medical care benefits and ensure more options and flexibility for drivers,” Kitz told the Calgary Herald.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada issued the following statement in response to the enactment of Bill 41: “The goal of changes made by the Alberta government to the auto insurance system is to help stabilize out-of-control claims costs, and ultimately help make insurance more affordable for drivers. These changes also give Albertans more and better options for care when they’ve been injured in an accident.”
PERFECT SCORES AND MORE
“Post-secondary autobody repair students faced off at Skills Alberta’s Post-Secondary Provincial Skills Competition, where only one could be awarded the title of Alberta’s greatest young autobody repairer or automotive refinisher.
The competition took place May 4 and 5, where contestants spent six hours each day demonstrating their skills at six different autobody repair stations, performing dent repairs on both aluminum and steel; plastic repair; aluminum welding; measuring and a choice event. This year’s Skills Alberta Provincials are extra special, as this is a qualifying year to earn a spot on Team Canada to compete at WorldSkills Shanghai 2022. The gold medallist will compete in the Team Canada category in all WorldSkills qualifying competitions. For the autobody repair portion of the competition, Hannah Ganske took the bronze, Mo Daiyoub claimed silver and Maxwell Fisher secured gold, in addition to the category’s safety award for his attention to PPE and precautions.
In car painting at the post-secondary level, Dorien Lozeau took home his second straight gold, securing his spot to compete at Nationals and vie for a chance at Shanghai. Brett Johnson and Andrea Shaw took home the silver and bronze, respectively; Lois Marks claimed the safety award. While this year’s competition went without the large audiences of years past, thanks to COVID-19, senior consultant at Canadian Collision Specialist and member of Skills Alberta’s Autobody Repair Committee Stefano Liessi said the competitors were as talented as ever. “A couple of competitors received perfect scores,” he told Collision
Repair over the phone. “And our rubric is not a walk in the park.” Liessi said Alberta takes its skills competitions extra-seriously. “[Skills Alberta] competitions really rival THE nationals. They put serious effort into it—it’s high end.”
This year’s endeavour couldn’t have happened without the support of industry partners like 3M and Color Compass, he added. While Alberta’s events are top-tier, Liessi said he finds it disappointing many facilities opt to keep their talent on the floor, rather than miss two days of work for the competition.” ““The competition is an advertising mecca for technicians,” he explained. “We had one volunteer come in from a shop in Sherwood Park; when they got here, they were stunned that so few shopowners had shown up. “If you win Nationals, you can tell your customers you have one of the best technicians o working in your shop.’ It’s a no-brainer, really.””
