Yesterday the CTF released details on how the MLCC had distributed 440 Winnipeg Jets tickets.

The information came as a result of a February 29 information request that we sent to all crown corporations. In short, we asked how many tickets each crown corp received and how they were distributed.

Initially, I had planned on releasing the details once I had received responses from all of the crown corporations. However, when Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau suggested that he couldn’t provide the official opposition with details on how the MLCC used its tickets as staff were still busy pulling it all together, I felt the record needed to be corrected.

After all, the MLCC had provided me with the same information five weeks earlier. Thus, staff were not still busy pulling it all together as the Minister suggested.

As for the other crown corps, here is what we found...so far...

 

Workers Compensation Board – No tickets were purchased although some were provided by suppliers. (Click here to view the WCB’s response)

 

Manitoba Lotteries – Lotteries received 1,408 Jets tickets and provided 1,056 to junior hockey teams through a random draw. It also provided around 176 tickets to customers.

Lotteries kept the remainder for employees; including the four tickets used by the Minister. What’s strange about that event is that the entry in the crown corporation’s response suggests an additional ticket was purchased for $775 for a Saskatchewan government official to attend with the Minister.  Further clarification would be nice as the numbers there don’t add up.

Also of note, an NDP-appointed board member managed to score a pair of tickets for the opening game and one even scored four tickets to take some guests to the December 31 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Click here to view Manitoba Lotteries response.

 

MPI – It’s well known that MPI provided four front row Jets tickets to Minister Andrew Swan, but here is some additional information on Jets tickets received by the crown. In total, it received 340 tickets and the use of a luxury box twice. It ended up raffling off 86 pairs to employees (with the revenues going to charity) and gave out 78 pairs through employee recognition. Four pairs were set aside for government relations purposes. No board members appear to have received any tickets. 

Click here to view MPI's response. 
 

Summary

In total, MPI, the MLCC and Manitoba Lotteries received 2,228 tickets. Of those, 1,128 were used for non-charitable activities while 1,100 were given to charity. These figures do not include Manitoba Hydro...which brings me to some remaining questions...

Questions

1) When will we see Hydro’s details? (A Hydro information response indicated it would be provided to the CTF by May 2)

2) When did each Minister pay back their tickets? Was it after the CTF request?

3) Why did Minister Rondeau suggest staff were still pulling the information together if it was provided to the CTF five weeks ago?

4) Finally...what about other cabinet ministers? Yesterday the CTF received a tip that a Minister received tickets from a heavily subsidized organization...could it be?

Conclusion

During a flurry of media interviews yesterday, I tried to be positive about the fact the NDP were planning on bringing in a new policy for dealing with these tickets and other elite perks. After all, this isn’t some kind of new phenomenon, it has been happening for years in government; across the political spectrum.

Today it was Jets tickets, tomorrow it could be something else. What’s most important is that a better policy comes about from this issue.

Some will point to the reason why the crowns got these tickets in the first place as problematic – and I would completely agree. The crowns received the tickets in exchange for spending $600,000+ on advertising at the MTS Centre. But as they have monopolies on the services they provide do they really need to advertise? Not really.

Sure a “don’t drink and drive” ad by MPI is a legitimate usage of public funds (provided the ads work), but far too often we see generic crown ads, featuring just a crown logo or bland slogan. For a government that is facing a half billion deficit right now, these types of ads are a great place to start cutting.

The MLCC claimed in its response that it bought the ads to act as a “good corporate citizen.”

But that's a load of bologna.

I like the Jets and all, but it’s a hard argument for the MLCC to suggest it needs to help fund the “little guy” who is getting paid a million bucks a year to chase a puck around while shelters for battered women (eg. Osborne House) are in need of financial assistance.

The root of the problem should be addressed – curtailing these ads and sponsorships in the first place. But if the NDP refuse to address that issue, hopefully they at least come up with a better policy on what to do with tickets that land in the lap of government.

PS – anyone look into who expensed tickets from the Schwarzenegger luncheon?