Years earlier, the province’s ombudsman had slammed the private company in a report and described it as a “puppet of the building industry.” “We worry that the recommendations will have the effect of seriously weakening consumer protection increasing costs for the administration and regulation of the warranty, new costs that ultimately new home buyers will have to pay and creating barriers to entry for builders that could further impact a marketplace already struggling to keep pace with consumer demand,” said Stephens.

In a statement sent to The Canadian Press on Tuesday, Tarion spokeswoman Laurie Stephens took issue with Cunningham’s recommendations. In MacCharles’ remarks, she acknowledged that Cunningham had found fault with Tarion’s complex structure and over-arching mandate, adding the retired judge had heard that both builders and homeowners questioned Tarion’s objectivity. In November 2015, the government appointed Douglas Cunningham, the former associate chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court, to lead a review into consumer protections for new home owners. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

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