Ontario says its going to repair the Tarion home warranty program with new legislation tabled last week.

If passed, the changes would bring more balance to Tarion by reducing the influence of developers and focusing the program on protecting future home buyers.

Minister of Government and Consumer Services Lisa Thompson announced the Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Bill in the wake of 32 recommendations made by the auditor general who revealed critical oversights at Tarion in her special audit this past October.

“Our government recognizes that Tarion has not done nearly enough to fulfill its responsibilities to protect buyers of new homes,” said Thompson, in a press release. “It is why we are rebuilding the program from the ground up, focusing on consumer protections, transparency and access to information, and governance.”

The province is also proposing changes to improve on the single administrator model for warranties and protections delivery, provide a better dispute resolution process and deliver new measures to promote better built new homes, such as providing the warranty administrator with greater ability to scrutinize builder applications and conduct inspections before a homeowner moves in.

This news comes a week after the second reading of the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, which also plans to strengthen consumer protections for home buyers.