Holiday bills getting you down in the dumps Well if you are in need of a good laugh, a trip to the website of "Today's NDP" will have you in stitches (www.mb.ndp.ca). You can take an interactive quiz to test your knowledge of politics right here in Manitoba. This may seem like an interesting task, but don't expect questions on Manitoba's first Premier or the engineer of the Legislative Building, just a bizarre twist on the province's political landscape brought to you by the governing NDP. Here is just a sample of what you will find:

Question 1: Which province is taking the national lead in Healthcare reform The NDP would like you to pick Manitoba as the winner in this category, but let's not forget this is the province that can't even manage to make sandwiches for its patients without building a million dollar factory. They are also the ones that jumped on the Romanow bandwagon, supporting his report that could potentially cost an additional $6.5 billion. Throw more money at it, now that is brilliant "reform."

Question 2: What government has been credited with launching an economic renaissance in this province
The French define renaissance as "rebirth" while the current government's definition might be closer to: drive the best and brightest out of the province and tax the hell out of those that stay. Over the past few years thousands of Manitobans have left the province for opportunities elsewhere. They fled because of the NDP's so-called "economic renaissance" that has left Manitoba with some of the highest income and property taxes in the country.

Question 3: Which political party has made urban revitalization a core policy agenda thereby helping to reverse a decade of neglect in the City of Winnipeg Well, "Today's NDP" of course! Having torn down the old to bring in the new at a cost of millions to taxpayers, the NDP may be reversing neglect, but they have pushed spending full steam ahead. The True North Centre, which started out as a largely private sector entity has all but morphed into a crown corporation with Premier Doer all too happy to keep the tax dollars flowing.

Question 4: Which political party has consistently proven to work in the best interests of Rural Manitoba
If unnecessarily taxing farmland to pay for school divisions and failing to put gas taxes back into the roads that look like a war zone is working in the best interest of Rural Manitoba, then "Today's NDP" would be the correct answer to this question.

Ironically the website misspells 'revitalization' - a Freudian slip or is it just difficult to spell something they have no interest in Here is a question they could add - Which Manitoba political party likes children and cute puppies the most That question would be as sincere as the others.