More than three years ago Manitoba Progressive Conservatives brought forward a Bill in the Manitoba Legislature to eliminate the payment of benefits from Manitoba Public Insurance to individuals who steal cars and then injure themselves in the course of their crime.

At that time, many Manitobans were surprised to learn that car thieves are eligible for benefits from MPI if they are injured driving a stolen vehicle. In fact, not only are they eligible, but thousands of dollars have been paid to car thieves for income replacement, specialized medical services and other benefits.

The legislation that was brought forward by the P.C. Party of Manitoba to stop your Autopac fees from going to pay benefits to car thieves was defeated by the NDP government. Every NDP member of the Manitoba legislature supported paying benefits to car thieves injured in the act of stealing a vehicle. In fact, some, such as then NDP Minister of Justice Dave Chomiak, said that ending these privileges for car thieves would be “mean”.

Mr. Chomiak and his NDP colleagues perhaps have forgotten the many victims of auto theft in our province. Not just the thousands who have suffered the financial and personal inconvenience of having a vehicle stolen but those who have been injured or lost a loved one to auto theft. I doubt the majority of these individuals would consider it mean to eliminate benefits from MPI for car thieves.

The NDP had their chance to support our legislation and they decided to keep benefits in place for car thieves. This coming session we will try again and reintroduce the legislation. Already some in the media are suggesting that the legislation will be supported by the NDP because, on the eve of a provincial election, Premier Greg Selinger and the NDP won’t want to be seen supporting financial aid to car thieves.

That may be true, time will tell. But what is more telling is the fact that when they had an opportunity several years ago to put an end to these benefits they refused to do so. That says a great deal about their commitment to ensuring that crime doesn’t pay and sending a message about the seriousness of auto theft. It may very well be that now, years after voting against the legislation and years after paying out tens of thousands of dollars to car thieves through MPI, that the NDP will change their mind.

But if they do, I suspect their motivation will have a lot more to do with the coming election than a true change of heart.