OP-ED: Alberta's NDP-style insurance scheme puts victims last

Tyler J. van Vliet writes, "Why is the Alberta government importing one of BC's worst policies?"

Tyler J. van Vliet

When you think of public policy success stories, British Columbia under the rule of New Democrats doesn’t top the list. Bloated bureaucracy, high taxes, out-of-control housing costs, and rising crime make it a model most Albertans reject.

So why is the Alberta government importing one of BC’s worst policies?

I’m talking about no-fault auto insurance. The Alberta government is calling it “Care First.” But let’s be honest: this scheme puts insurance companies first—so let’s call it what it is: Insurance First.

Bill 47 brings Insurance First into effect in 2027. It’s nearly a carbon copy of BC’s no-fault model—and just like BC’s, it will fail victims.

If you value your rights, your freedom, and the ability to hold bad drivers accountable, this bill should raise alarm bells.

In BC, victims are forced into WCB-style payouts

BC’s “Enhanced Care” model doesn’t allow accident victims to sue the driver who injured them. Instead, compensation comes through ICBC based on fixed WCB-style payouts—regardless of your actual losses or your doctor’s opinion.

This is what Alberta’s system is copying. It’s WCB for car crashes—just privatized.

ICBC decides how much care you get, how long you get it, and when it ends. If you disagree, you appeal to a tribunal funded by the insurance industry. About 91 per cent of cases are decided in the insurer’s favour.

Victims don’t just fall through the cracks—they’re shoved.

In one BC case, a mother was killed in a crash. Under no-fault, her family had no legal recourse. No lawsuit. No compensation. Just silence from the system that’s supposed to help.

The “Insurance First” lie

UCP officials say Alberta’s model will be different. They claim it’s modeled on Manitoba, not BC.

The BC NDP said the same thing.

They promised people could still sue in “serious” cases. They claimed it was “victim-focused.” They denied it was no-fault at all.

Sound familiar?

Bill 47 repeats the same tricks. You can sue—but only if the other driver is convicted of a specific criminal offence. That almost never happens. Most negligent drivers aren’t charged. Even when they are, cases drag out or end in plea deals. Your ability to seek justice is now tied to a prosecutor’s decisions, not your suffering.

You won’t be able to sue for lost income or loss of future ability to work. And even if care continues, it can be cut off at any time. Section 10 gives insurers the same power as ICBC: to overrule your doctor and stop benefits when it suits them.

This is central planning for insurers

Insurance First takes decisions away from families and hands them to billion-dollar corporations. It eliminates accountability for bad drivers and gives insurers financial incentives to cut people off.

It’s the kind of top-down bureaucratic scheme you'd expect from the BC NDP—not from a government that claims to stand for liberty and personal responsibility.

At least in BC, the system is publicly accountable. Alberta is handing private insurers a blank cheque.

Who benefits from this? Not you.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada has admitted this scheme might not even lower your premiums. Rates have gone up year after year. Meanwhile, insurers have racked up over $3.1 million in fines for overcharging and mishandling claims.

If the government is determined to strip Albertans of their rights just to boost insurer profits, they should at least admit it.

This isn’t about “care.” It’s about corporate protectionism.

On October 26, 2003, Danielle Smith wrote in a Calgary Herald op-ed titled Victims First: Caps on Injury Must Be Dropped:

“The province can use whatever terminology it wants to try and sell this scheme, but it still stinks. If insurance reform is going to work for regular Albertans, preserving the rights and interests of victims must be the starting point.”

She was right then. She’s wrong now.

Tyler J. van Vliet is a lawyer with Crash Lawyers and the former President of the University of Calgary Conservatives. ‘Albertans Against No Fault Insurance’ is a proud sponsor of Juno News. The views expressed are that of the author, and not Juno News.