Message from the President

The people of Manitoba Public Insurance realize that we have been entrusted with an important responsibility. We’re running more than an auto insurance company; we’re the stewards of a system that has become an important advantage of living and working in Manitoba.

Not everyone in Canada can count on comprehensive auto insurance coverage at an affordable price, with high standards of service and fairness. Although the strength and stability of our system is sometimes taken for granted, Manitobans deserve that peace of mind. That is why we protect this advantage by continually seeking higher standards of excellence in everything we do.

As a corporation, our journey in 2007 saw us pass many important milestones while setting our sights on even more:

• We entered our 10th year of holding the line on rates for most policyholders, something unheard of in the private system.
• We provided our third rebate in six years, this one totalling $60 million, with the promise of a fourth rebate in 2008. Together, these four rebates will total $263 million.
• By the end of the fiscal year, we experienced the largest drop in auto theft in Manitoba’s history, thanks to our immobilizer program and the Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy.

The impressive impact we had on auto theft was one of the most gratifying achievements of the year. There were almost 2,500 fewer vehicles stolen this year compared to last. The value of claims related to auto crime dropped by $11.7 million, and the number of vehicles in Manitoba protected by approved aftermarket immobilizers grew to almost 100,000.

We can only speculate on the number of innocent lives that may have been saved because Manitobans prevented reckless and uncaring car thieves from stealing these vehicles.

Of course, we can’t declare victory yet. But these gains signal that the corporation’s auto theft strategy will soon bring an end to this serious public safety problem.

From a business perspective, the declining auto theft rate is one of the factors allowing us to keep costs and rates low while we invest in service improvements for the future. In 2007, we were busy preparing for a number of innovations that will greatly add to the value of our products and services in the years ahead.

The rationale for creating the corporation back in 1971 was to provide motorists with access to protection against the economic costs of collisions that is fair, consistent and affordable. That is still our prime purpose today. We will continue to reach beyond those basics to guarantee that Manitobans enjoy the advantages of our public auto insurance system in the years ahead.

In this annual report you will read about many of these improvements, and examples of the outstanding service that Manitoba Public Insurance is bringing to our customers. We are reaching out, and reaching higher.

Marilyn McLaren
President and Chief Executive Officer

(SITTING LEFT TO RIGHT)
Marilyn McLaren, President & Chief Executive Officer
Clarke Campbell, Vice-President, Corporate Information Technology & Chief Information Officer
Don Palmer, Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer
Dan Guimond, Vice-President, Business Innovation & Insurance Operations
(STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT)
MaryAnn Kempe, Vice-President, Human Resources;
Wilf Bedard, Vice-President, Claims Operations & Service Delivery;
John Douglas, Vice-President, Public Affairs;
Kevin McCulloch, Vice-President, Corporate Legal, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary