MPP Vijay Thanigasalam

Looking for ways to improve auto insurance system

It was a busy January for me and I’m excited to share with you some of the events I attended. What’s the new year without a skate? I attended the 3^rd Annual Scarborough New Year’s Skating Party and was thrilled to see so many families brave the cold to come out and have a good time. I was ecstatic to join Milanos Grill on the grand opening of their second location in Scarborough. In addition, I joined West Rouge Community Association for a board meeting to discuss various pressing issues.

I met with the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care with Councillor Jennifer McKelvie and MP Gary Anandasangaree to discuss the upcoming plans for the centre and how the different levels of government can assist with this. I had an interesting tour of the SAAAC Autism Centre and was able to see the great work they do for the community. At the office, I got the chance to meet with the Citizen Climate Lobby Organization where we discussed the various ways our government can ensure a sustainable future. I also had the opportunity to meet with TTC riders and had a productive discussion about the importance of transportation in Scarborough–Rouge Park.

As many of you may know, January was Tamil Heritage Month and Scarborough–Rouge Park has the highest concentration of Tamils in Ontario. I was happy to attend the Tamil Heritage Month Opening Ceremony hosted by the Canadian Tamil Heritage Society and the World Tamilology Conference 2019 hosted by the National Council of Canadian Tamils. My staff and I also hosted a Tamil Heritage Month Open House where we served the traditional “Pongal” treat and showcased traditional art to constituents. Mayor John Tory also hosted a Thai Pongal Celebration at the Scarborough Civic Centre, which I had the honour of attending.

I met with the mayor alongside other Toronto MPPs to discuss the various issues Torontonians face. We talked about the importance of building transit in Scarborough, which remains a top priority for me. The province has just announced $185 million in funding to the City of Toronto to improve transit projects. This investment will help improve the commute for many constituents who use the TTC. We also discussed the significance of ensuring safer neighbourhoods. Both levels of government hope to move faster to accomplish these things and I look forward to tackling these issues.

Our government announced the latest steps to get auto insurance costs under control. Auto insurance rates in Ontario are among the highest in the country and action is needed. We want to hear directly from drivers, consumers and businesses on how to improve Ontario’s auto insurance system. This consultation is an opportunity for Ontario drivers to have their say on how we can modernize our system and cut red tape. You can have your say by visiting bit.ly/2QCrRot and sharing your input no later than February 15.