Authorities say man killed while trying to rob dispensary

Undercover and uniformed police officers are returning to Winnipeg Transit buses this weekend.

The Winnipeg Police Service, citing the success of the fall pilot project, announced Friday that regular patrols will resume monitoring activity on and around buses, stops and transit hubs.

“Everyone — riders, operators, and transit staff — deserves to feel safe. Violent and disruptive conduct will not be tolerated,” police said in a news release.

It described the initiative as one “rooted in prevention and protection.”

In the wake of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, oil and gas prices have surged, triggering what’s widely expected to be the worst energy crisis on record. Amid ongoing affordability challenges, governments are reaching for policy tools to soften the blow for consumers.

Now, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew suggested that another gas tax cut may be under consideration to temper the effects of high gas prices. In the past few weeks, the controversy surrounding the province’s 2024 gas tax “holiday” has been revived after the premier provocatively declared the policy to be “the most important thing that a provincial government ever did” in Manitoba.

From an affordability perspective, a gas tax cut has major drawbacks.

It only benefits drivers, disproportionately those with multiple and/or large vehicles. The savings provided by a gas cut are dwarfed by the rising prices, which the policy does nothing to address.