The government is replacing faulty licence plates at no cost, says Lisa Thompson, Minister of Government and Consumer Service.
Since the introduction of the new Ontario licence plates on Feb. 2, the plates have been the subject of criticism, primarily due with problems with their visibility.
Opposition party members criticize the the new plates for looking too conservative.
“They need to start listening to the people,” said Michael Coteau, Liberal MPP for Don Valley East. “If a government cannot handle a licence plate change, it questions your ability to change programs.”
Coteau also questions how the Conservative government will handle the change going forward.
“A government can make mistakes, but it’s about how you come back from them,” he said. “It shows what kind of government you are.”
Rima Berns-McGown, NDP MPP for Beaches–East York, calls the Conservative government’s actions regarding the new licence plates “an egregious example of something where they wanted to put their own stamp on something — they went full force ahead without doing their homework.”
The move backfired at first because their initial reaction to the criticism was to deny the plates had a problem, Berns-McGown said.
“It is indicative of so much that they do, which is to try to put their stamp on something for the sake of it, but not do the background work, not do the consulting, not to look at the evidence, and then deny any mistakes they have made.”
On March 2, Doug Ford addressed the licence plates controversy, but lost his temper when asked what the issues are with the plates that are already out there.
Berns-McGown disagreed with how he handled it.
“It contributed to the problem because he doesn’t like being told he is wrong,” she said. “He then ends up acting like a spoiled child with a temper tantrum.”
Berns-McGown said her concern is that the conservative government is not listening to the people.
“He doesn’t understand that there is a crisis of confidence,” she said. “There is a trust deficit that the people of Ontario have with him and his government.”