In a sudden swerve late Thursday afternoon, MPI changed lanes on its decision to issue driver’s licences to some high school students without subjecting them to a road test.
Just three hours after MPI’s board chair defended the Crown corporation’s plan to put driver-education grads in the passing lane during the ongoing strike by 1,700 of its workers, the public insurer slammed on the brakes.
“Effective immediately, Manitoba Public Insurance… is pausing its plans to waive the Class 5 road test requirement for eligible graduates of the Driver Z program,” a news release issued just before 5 p.m.
Only three hours earlier, MPI board chair Ward Keith told reporters that the corporation remained confident in its plan announced Wednesday to grant licences to graduates of the Driver Z education program without first passing a road test, in an effort to address a growing backlog while 1,700 Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union members are on strike. He said the rookie, but much-practised drivers could be on the road next week.
“MPI officials will be monitoring this program very closely, and will make revisions if necessary,” MPI board chair Ward Keith said Wednesday..
MPI attributed Thursday’s surprising U-turn to an “overwhelming response from the driver education community” that allowed the corporation to hire a sufficient number of outside instructors on contract to cross the picket line in order to test all Class 5 applicants.
The statement suggested the waiver plan could reappear if the strike is a lengthy one.
Regulations under The Driver and Vehicles Act state “an applicant for any class of licence must pass the knowledge examination and the practical road test required for each class of licence for which application is made.”
Opposition response
Before the road test waiver program was suddenly axed late Thursday, provincial party leaders criticized it as unsafe and unnecessary.
NDP leader Wab Kinew said one of his children is starting the Driver Z program next week and safety was front of mind for him.
“Under the PC plan, not only are workers not getting a fair wage, but potentially folks who aren’t ready to get that licence will be given one,” he said at an unrelated press conference. “So as a parent, it’s about safety. As a Manitoban, I think everybody wants to think about safety first.”
Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont said the Tories are trying to score political points with their base and win votes with the strike, calling it “an incredibly bad idea.”
Before the road test waiver program was suddenly axed late Thursday, provincial party leaders criticized it as unsafe and unnecessary.
NDP leader Wab Kinew said one of his children is starting the Driver Z program next week and safety was front of mind for him.
“Under the PC plan, not only are workers not getting a fair wage, but potentially folks who aren’t ready to get that licence will be given one,” he said at an unrelated press conference. “So as a parent, it’s about safety. As a Manitoban, I think everybody wants to think about safety first.”
Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont said the Tories are trying to score political points with their base and win votes with the strike, calling it “an incredibly bad idea.”
“The reality is the PC government is using strikes as a campaign tool. These are strikes being chosen by the PC government. They’re picking fights with unions because they think it’s politically convenient for them. There’s no need for these strikes to be taking place at all and it’s because the government is being unreasonable across the board,” Lamont said.
“It’s outright dangerous to be handing out drivers’ licences to people who haven’t had road tests,” he said. “I cannot believe that anyone would even consider this for a moment.”
— Danielle Da Silva and Katie May
Keith said MPI was “in discussions” with the provincial government to bypass that regulation and make “whatever regulation changes are necessary to clearly articulate the authority of the Registrar in this case.”
“MPI is confident that the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has the authority to recognize successful completion of the Driver Z program, and its associated student evaluations, as equivalent to the driver-examination requirements currently referred to in legislation,” he told reporters at the early afternoon news conference.
Manitoba’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles is employed by MPI.
For its part, the provincial government couldn’t explain how MPI’s attempt to issue licences to drivers who did not pass a road test would not break the law. A spokesperson for Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who is responsible for MPI, wouldn’t say if regulatory changes were ordered to accommodate MPI’s plans, nor would they offer any legal rationale to support MPI’s position.
“The Manitoba government respects MPI’s function and its commitment to safe contingency planning that is responsive to the continuing service expectations of all Manitobans. Working with MPI, we are reviewing its plans and underlying authority on an expedited basis,” Goertzen’s spokesperson said in an email.
While MPI appeared relieved to have convinced an adequate number of driving instructors to cross the picket line, there were many who refused to buy in.
Neena Bedi, the owner of Neena’s Driving School, was one of a dozen instructors who marched with striking workers at the Bison Drive service centre Thursday morning.
She said private instructors aren’t trained to conduct road tests safely and there are ethical questions about performing both teaching and testing roles.
“Even though, as an instructor, I can go and make money, it’s not correct. It’s not right,” she said, adding that MPI’s now-aborted licensing plan left safety considerations at the side of the road.
MPI initially defended the plan by arguing that students who complete the Driver Z program are more likely to pass road tests and be safer motorists.
An MPI analyst with nearly a decade of experience told the Free Press that was misleading.
“Even though, as an instructor, I can go and make money, it’s not correct. It’s not right.”–Neena Bedi, Neena’s Driving School
“The majority, I would say, of Driver Z students performed well on the road tests, but what the policy fails to consider is the ones that didn’t,” said the analyst, who did not want to be identified.
“Without specific numbers, (there are) hundreds of drivers-ed students every year who fail the road test repeatedly. So these are drivers that are not prepared to drive safely and independently.”
Striking road-test examiners were “disturbed” by the plan’s announcement, said one with more than a decade of experience.
“Ward Keith is saying that he has no safety concerns. Well, he doesn’t have the credentials to say that,” said the examiner. “He was never a driver examiner, he’s never come and spent a week with us and did ride-alongs to see what we see.”
“Ward Keith is saying that he has no safety concerns. Well, he doesn’t have the credentials to say that.”–Examiner
He said 70 per cent of Driver Z graduates fail their first road test, including a few who did not know how to start the vehicle.
Striking staff have heard MPI is paying instructors who cross the picket line more than what MGEU members had been offered.
“There was nothing in the works before the strike,” he said. “There was no conversation, no talk of them ever getting rid of road tests for Driver Z students. So basically, they’re just doing what’s convenient for them.”
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
