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But the most promising territory for cost containment would appear to involve reform of the insurance product itself.

While dismissing a full-blown move to no fault, the minister indicated the government would later this spring bring in some sort legislative cap on payouts for minor, soft-tissue injuries, perhaps including pain and suffering.

The caps and other reforms along those lines could save $770 million to as much as $1.43 billion a year. This according to a report from EY consultants commissioned by the previous Liberal government and released by the New Democrats.

If the changes were phased in over a few years, cautiously and with an eye to the courts, ICBC could be back in the black. Trial lawyers permitting — and they are already in the field with an advertising campaign opposing even a whiff of no fault.

The Liberals balked at what they characterized as a “no fault lite” version of the aforementioned options, proposed in an earlier EY report delivered to them in late 2014. So reluctant was the government of the day to provoke the lawyers, it suppressed the recommendations altogether.

Happily, someone saved a copy, which somehow last week ended up in the hands of Rob Shaw of The Vancouver Sun.

Given the craven record of the Liberals, the New Democrats can at least claim to have the wind behind them in reforming auto insurance to cap payouts and limit settlements.

“Not an easy path,” as Eby himself put it Monday. But one justified by a new government’s willingness to take on a challenge manufactured, neglected and then covered up, by its predecessor.

Vpalmer@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/VaughnPalmer

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