A few weeks ago, I became one of the thousands of Winnipeggers to have their car broken into. While
I was saddened to see the shattered glass and the empty space where my GPS system used to be, I
was equally saddened I could no longer boast “my car has never been broken into”. But after I swept
out the glass, I figured, ‘hey, I guess that’s what my car insurance is for, right?’. Well, not exactly…

After making a claim with Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), I called multiple glass shops until I found one
that could do the repairs that day – a Saturday. As a poor student who needed the car for work on Monday,
waiting around for it to be repaired was not an option. Then, I was informed of MPI’s “recycled glass
policy”.

According to the glass shop I spoke to, before any work could begin on the vehicle, MPI requires that a
search be conducted to determine if recycled parts could be obtained for the repairs. Unluckily for me, this
search could not be conducted until Monday.

In addition to being concerned about the quality of the ‘recycled’ glass to be used in my vehicle (especially
since the repair shop told me that they never use recycled glass for anything other than MPI claims and that
they don’t guarantee recycled glass), I couldn’t believe that I would be forced to wait days to have my car
repaired due to MPI’s bureaucratic policy.

The motive behind the MPI recycled glass policy is that recycled parts are less expensive than new parts
and using them keeps costs down. But I wondered, for the amount of inconvenience the recycled glass
policy has caused me, and all the other Manitobans waiting to have their vehicles repaired, how much are
they really saving? So I filed a Freedom of Information request with MPI to find out. The result: less
than 18% of glass claims in the last two years have resulted in the use of recycled glass. That’s a lot of
customers and businesses waiting around for nothing…

Some claim that we should be happy with our mandatory government-run auto insurance because the
prices we pay are lower than those in provinces with private insurance. But am I happy to be forced
to pay thousands of dollars to a company which offers substandard service, requires the use of inferior
products, and from which I have no recourse when I am dissatisfied? No. Would I be willing to pay more
so that I could choose to utilize a company that aims to serve the needs of its customers and could be held
accountable if it fails? Yes. And I know I’m not alone.

It’s time to loosen MPI’s grip on the auto insurance business and allow for competition. That way, those
that love MPI’s service can continue to buy their auto insurance from the Crown Corporation, and those
that don’t would be free to go elsewhere.

Note: In subsequent research, I discovered that there are at least two auto repair companies in Winnipeg
which, for these types of MPI glass claims, immediately install the new glass for the customer and if
recycled glass is subsequently found through the required search, the company takes the loss. That’s just
one example of the type of customer service that comes with competition.