REGINA – The opposition New Democrats have stepped up calls for Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Jeremy Harrison to be transparent on whether there will be a hike in auto rates for 2027.
This comes on the heels of last Friday’s decision by the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel recommending against the Saskatchewan Auto Fund's application for a 3.75 per cent increase for 2027-28 at this time, while supporting going ahead with the same increase for 2026-27 that came in on June 1.
The recommendations now go to cabinet for a final decision, with Harrison stating on Friday the government would take time to review the report.
Speaking to the media outside of Harrison’s office at the Legislature on Tuesday, NDP critic for SGI Darcy Warrington accused the minister of being “silent on whether or not this second increase will go ahead.”
The Rate Review Panel had cited affordability concerns as a factor in their recommendation for 2027-28, but did acknowledge the financial pressures the Auto Fund had been under in their release on Friday. Warrington blamed the pressures on the Auto Fund on “years and years of mismanagement by the Sask Party government."
He accused the government of having driven SGI into a "level of going broke that even the rate hikes proposed by this government would not have solved."
“Through his disastrous tenure as Minister of Crowns, Jeremy Harrison has created a situation where the Rate Review Panel is warning it could see large future rate increases, reduced flexibility to respond to severe weather or unexpected claim costs," Warrington said. "The panel has made it clear that unless we see a change, Saskatchewan drivers will see large rate increases or reduced access to supports… We cannot reach a point where making it more expensive to drive is the only way to keep SGI solvent. But it is obvious that this is where Scott Moe and Jeremy Harrison are already planning to take us.”
Warrington was pressed by reporters about how the NDP would bring the Saskatchewan Auto Fund back to sustainability without raising rates. He indicated a “lack of accountability and a lack of transparency” was standing in the way of determining that.
“We are asking for SGI to open the books for Jeremy Harrison to give us that opportunity and the people of Saskatchewan the opportunity to see where the deficiencies are on different budget lines. And none of that work can be done without giving people the opportunity to take a look for themselves.”
Warrington said if they open the books and take a look at where the deficiencies are, “we believe that without an increase at SGI, we can find a happy medium where solvency can be found, and affordability for Saskatchewan drivers.”
When asked if the NDP would favour decreasing expenses or service reductions, Warrington said they are “certainly not looking at a possibility where people's services with SGI would be diminished. We would be looking at different budget lines as I said. We would have to see where they are at in the books.”
Harrison was not at the Legislature Tuesday, but the government did issue a response to the NDP availability that states as follows:
“The Government will review the report from the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel and make a decision on next steps in due course. SGI’s proposed rate adjustment reflects the financial realities facing auto insurers across the country, including a higher number of claims and repair and replacement costs. It is important that the Saskatchewan Auto Fund remains financially sustainable for the drivers who rely on it every day. We will continue working to ensure Saskatchewan motorists receive affordable, reliable coverage.”
