WINNIPEG: Following numerous Freedom of Information requests from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), the Official Opposition and members of the media, the NDP government is only now releasing focus group data and invoices for its failed Spirited Energy campaign following a recommendation from the Ombudsman to do so.

"After months of complaints, numerous letters, denied requests and circumventing the FOI Act, the NDP government released some of the focus group testing and invoices from the Spirited Energy campaign," said Provincial Director Adrienne Batra. "Unfortunately, even their attempt to be transparent has resulted in more secrecy since most of the pertinent information from the focus groups - what Manitobans actually thought of the campaign - has been whited out in the documents."

Over $1.6 million of taxpayers' money was directed towards the campaign, with the NDP government committing to spend more in the next few months, once an audit of the Spirited Energy campaign is complete. "The CTF's message to the NDP government is to stop wasting our money on this propaganda program," Batra concluded.