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The Manitoba government said Friday that it is stepping up its fight against drinking and driving and auto theft, with new sanctions that would limit insurance coverage for those found guilty of injuring others.

Amendments to the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act would prevent spousal death benefits from going to drunk drivers who caused the death, as well as reduce payments to injured auto thieves.

"This is a clear signal offenders will be unable to profit from illegal behaviour," Attorney-General Gord Mackintosh said.

Mr. Mackintosh introduced legislative amendments that would deny death benefits to a claimant who is at least 50 per cent responsible for an accident that caused a death and who is convicted of an impaired driving or related offence. That would include operating a motor vehicle while impaired, impaired driving causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing death and failure to comply with a demand for a breath sample.

The amendment would close a loophole that earlier this year allowed a drunk Portage la Prairie man to collect a $46,000 death benefit from Manitoba Public Insurance after he ran over his wife while he was impaired.

Mr. Mackintosh says changes will not affect the ability of innocent dependents to claim benefits.

The Attorney-General also proposed changes to reduce injury benefits for anyone convicted of auto-theft-related charges. MPI would deny income-replacement payments for 12 months if the claimant is found to be responsible for the accident and convicted of theft, flight from a police officer or taking a motor vehicle without consent.

"The public needs to have confidence that government speaks with one voice on serious issues of public safety," Mr. Mackintosh said. "These amendments ensure that the administration of auto insurance in Manitoba reflects the serious nature the public attaches to auto theft and drinking and driving. In Manitoba, if you drink and drive or steal vehicles you lose on a number of fronts."

The proposed ammendments mark the province's second crackdown on convicted drunk drivers in December.

On Dec., 2 a change to the province's Highway Traffic Act made it legal in the province to seize and sell vehicles driven by impaired drivers.

The forfeiture provisions now in effect allow for vehicles used in serious Criminal Code offences to become the property of the province. Vehicles will be sold if the offender is convicted. Proceeds will be used in covering the costs of the initiatives.

The act applies even to first-time offenders when death or bodily harm results from a crime involving a vehicle, including impaired driving causing bodily harm or death, manslaughter, criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death, dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm or death and flight from police causing bodily harm or death.