Consumer Advisory Panel Members

Sharon Altman-Leamen
Anish Chopra
Rhona DesRoches
Hitesh Doshi
Roger Gauthier
Harold Geller
Robert Gouley

Special Guest

Lucie Tedesco

FSRA Management in Attendance

Tim Bzowey – EVP, Auto/Insurance Products
Glen Padassery – EVP, Policy and Chief Consumer Officer
Judy Pfeifer – Chief Public Affairs Officer
David Bartucci – Director, Policy – Pensions and Consumer Office (Acting)
Joel Gorlick – Director, Policy – Market Conduct
Marlena Labieniec – Director, Policy – Innovation Office
Daniel Padro – Director, Policy – Credit Union
Heather Kay – Senior Manager, Policy – Strategic Policy

Summary

  • The Panel participated in an agenda-setting exercise for its 2021 term. The aim of the exercise was to identify topics that should serve as the Panel’s principal focus during the 2021 term.
  • The Panel received an overview of the Residents’ Reference Panel on Automotive Insurance in Ontario and an update on the Panel’s 2020 Annual Report.

Discussion Topics of Focus

Welcome and Term Overview

  • FSRA welcomed Panel members to the first official Consumer Advisory Panel meeting of the 2021 term.
  • FSRA provided a brief overview of changes to the Panel’s Terms of Reference (TOR), including increasing the number of meetings that the Panel can have annually and adding an agenda-setting meeting at the beginning of every term.
  • FSRA noted that six Panel meetings have been scheduled for the 2021 term. The six dates for Panel meetings are as follows: January 29, March 26, May 27, July 29, September 30 and December 8.
  • FSRA mentioned that additional engagement with the Panel can take place outside of these scheduled meetings (e.g., such as the Consumer Engagement Series on FSRA’s Financial Professionals Title Protection Framework in 2020).
  • FSRA discussed the purpose of the agenda-setting exercise.

Agenda-Setting Exercise: Part I

  • Panel members proposed topics for consideration as part of the Panel’s 2021 policy agenda, including cross-sectoral and sector-specific issues.
  • Panel members agreed on the importance of several topics raised, including the cross-sectoral issues.

Agenda-Setting Exercise: Part II

  • FSRA provided the Panel with a summary of the ideas advanced during Part I of the agenda-setting exercise.
  • The Panel suggested ways that FSRA can plan for the Panel’s 2021 term based on the ideas provided by Panel members.
  • FSRA committed to engaging its leadership on the topics identified by the Panel and, moreover, returning to the Panel with a proposed approach and work plan for the 2021 term.

Residents’ Reference Panel on Automotive Insurance in Ontario

  • FSRA provided an overview of the Residents’ Reference Panel on Automotive Insurance in Ontario, which FSRA convened in October 2020 to bring together a representative and diverse group of Ontarians to learn about their priorities, preferences and vision for the future of automotive insurance regulation in Ontario.
  • FSRA and the Panel discussed the possibility of using the residents’ reference panel model in other regulated sectors.

The Panel’s 2020 Annual Report

  • FSRA presented a preliminary draft of the Panel’s 2020 Annual Report, which outlines the Panel’s key activities from its inaugural term.
  • The Panel will provide further feedback and guidance on the 2020 Annual Report before it is released publicly.

Next Steps

  • FSRA noted next steps, including:
    • FSRA will seek feedback from the Panel on the current draft of the Panel’s 2020 Annual Report; and
    • FSRA will return to the Panel, in advance of the next Panel meeting, with a proposed approach and work plan for the 2021 term.