VICTORIA – Transportation Minister Todd Stone tried to avoid scrutiny in the legislature by hiding information about ICBC’s $110-million blunder, say New Democrats.

“Rather than immediately notifying the public about this mistake – which meant many people were overbilled for years on their auto insurance – Minister Stone hid this information until after he had finished debating his ministry’s budget in the legislature,” said New Democrat ICBC critic Mable Elmore.

After news broke that ICBC is on the hook for $110 million in billing errors, Minister Stone responded that he was “as angry as I expect British Columbians to be.”

“It’s not good enough for the minister to come out after media broke the story and claim he is angry,” said Elmore. “We want to know why he hid this important information from the public for more than a month.”

Elmore also noted that the minister served three years on the board of directors at ICBC before he was elected, including in 2013 when the billing error first became known to ICBC.

“Rates are on the rise, with a 4.9 per cent increase last year, and another increase coming this year,” said Elmore.

“Now, ratepayers are being put last again by this minister’s decision to put political damage control ahead of accountability. People deserve better from this minister, and from ICBC.”