I file tons of "freedom of information" requests throughout the year with different government departments, crown corporations, school boards and other bodies to obtain information on different matters.

Sometimes they turn into news releases, other times not so much. Some are filed just out of curiosity more than anything.

Here are a few responses that didn't make any CTF news releases, but might be of interest...

No Data, Just Rhetoric

For years the NDP have repeated the tired old lie that under Filmon 1,000 nurses were 'fired.' As Tom Brodbeck notes, years after Filmon had left office, Gary Doer even tried to suggest the number was actually 1,500 nurses (who knew Filmon had a time machine!)

Regardless, the lie is just that - a lie. The truth is most of the nurses the NDP claim were 'fired' were actually transferred from one government entity to another.

As the 'fired 1,000 nurses' urban legend has taken off, the NDP have tried every once in a while to float the idea that Filmon also 'fired 700 teachers.' In fact, the NDP made such a bold claim in a flyer they had mailed throughout the province earlier this year.

Out of curiosity, I asked the government for documentation on that figure - what was their evidence?

30 Days after I filed the request a notice came in and the government said they need another 30 days to look for documentation. Wow, I figured they'd have it handy given they just sent a flyer across the province making the bold claim.

Another 30 days went by and then this came in - click here .

As you can see, the government doesn't actually have any data or evidence to support the allegation; they just have rhetoric from the teachers' union. Go figure.

Yup, Same Problem Here

Back in August I released some data showing government-run cafeterias in hospitals were racking up some huge losses.

Province-wide, the government-run hospitals had lost $4.5 million between 2010 and 2012. And to be clear, we're not talking about food served to patients, we're talking about food sold to the public and staff.

At the time I mused publicly that it was probably due, in large part, to the wage and benefit structure. After all, governments are known to offer staff more than people doing similar work in the private sector; that was the case in government-run Tim Hortons in hospitals in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador when people looked into those situations.

Well, data that I subsequently obtained from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority shows just that - wages and benefits that are upwards of double what people in the private sector make for similar work.

At the government-run cafeteria that was shut down at Victoria Hospital, staff made upwards of $21 per hour plus 21% for benefit costs in 2011-12. In other words, the cook in the back made around $25 per hour once you factor in benefits. Pop by a Perkins - which serves similar food - and staff are likely making much closer to $12 or so an hour.

To see the Freedom of Information response - click here.

Personalized Plates MPI Doesn't Allow

After seeing a story in Saskatchewan about personalized plates their government auto insurer didn't allow, I wondered what requests MPI has refused. This doesn't really have much to do with the CTF - it was curiosity more than anything. As I have a system that allows me to file a request with a min or two, I figured why not see what's not allowed in Manitoba?

Here's MPI's list - click here.