CAA Manitoba is baffled over the recent report that Manitoba Public Insurance is in line for the potential sponsorship of Winnipeg’s new police helicopter.
CAA says MPI’s sponsorship is without any clear indication on how it will cut down the public insurer’s costs.
“There’s no doubt it will help spot circumstances that could create public safety hazards, but you still need to stop these people and that’s up to the police — not MPI,” said CAA Manitoba President Mike Mager.
CAA also wonders how sponsoring a helicopter will assist in searching for lost children, managing crowds and escorting VIPs. They also question where the sponsorship dollars will go if the province and city are already committing millions to operate and purchase the chopper.
“We’re very concerned that MPI is viewed by many as an endless slush fund of money as long as initiatives are somehow connected to road safety. The justification the police report has offered is that this helicopter ‘could’ help cut down MPI’s costs. If that’s true, what will be done with those cost savings? Would premiums go down as a result?” added Mager.
