OOPS, they did it again. The NDP Government has once more demonstrated their innate ability to waste taxpayers' money. This time they gave over $15,000 of your tax dollars to a politically friendly "think tank" called the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

A Freedom of Information request by the CTF found that in 2001, Manitoba's NDP Government handed over the money for a subscription to the CCPA. An additional $250 was given for an annual contribution and $200 more for CCPA's participation in a conference.

Traditionally, the NDP and CCPA think the same way, for example the CCPA's reson d'être is to "research and publish the alternative policies that refute the corporate agenda..." and the NDP's mantra "our society must change from one based on competition to one based on cooperation." Not too far off from one another.

Another area where the NDP and CCPA are like minded - Kyoto. A research paper produced by the CCPA claims that there has been too much focus on the cost of Kyoto and not enough on the environment, the NDP government would like Kyoto ratified at any cost.

In the spirit of fairness, no one is questioning the existence of the CCPA, but is it necessary for taxpayers to pay for their funding The CCPA is certainly entitled to their opinions, but what they should not be entitled to is tax dollars to ensure they survive. There are many Manitobans that would not necessarily agree with much of what the CCPA produces, yet they are paying for a membership as if they do. What makes this $15,000 even less justifiable is that a majority of the information the subscription paid for is available at no charge on the CCPA's website. It is too bad that the government did not figure this out and save taxpayers a few bucks.

It should be pointed out that it is not only the Manitoba NDP that played fast and loose with tax dollars, the former NDP Government in BC did something similar, but at a much higher cost. Taxpayers in BC got taken to the cleaners with a $200,000 contract awarded to the CCPA and an additional $105,000 for a 3-year subscription literally weeks before being ousted from office.

The CCPA's reaction to the information released by the CTF paints a somewhat different perspective: "this shows the taxpayers' federation doesn't seem to make a distinction between a lobby group and a research institute." So is it sour grapes Not likely, the CTF wouldn't take money from a government department even if they wanted to give it to us and that is what keeps us truly independent.

Imagine if former PC Premier Gary Filmon had used $15,000 of taxpayers' money to buy a subscription to the Fraser Institute, the NDP would have rightly lit their hair on fire!