Had a nice laugh listening to Jim Rondeau on CJOB earlier today, stating repeatedly that the province has not “earmarked” any additional funding for the Spirited Energy campaign until after the Auditor General’s review is finished. However, government spokespeople confirm that $250,000 is being spent in the mean time to maintain the website, phone line, etc.
Politicians sound like idiots when they try to play cute with language like this. While I have serious misgivings about Spirited Energy in general, I wouldn’t have really cared if Rondeau had just said they were spending $20k a month to maintain the campaign at a base level until the report came down. But given the way the provincial spinners have completely mishandled questions about what this flame-out is costing, I’m not terribly surprised. As the Freep’s Mary Agnes Welch pointed out a few months back, in attempting to bury the story, they’re actually adding fuel to the fire. And guys like Brodbeck are more than happy to roast a few marshmallows at the province’s expense.
Filed under: Manitoba NDP | Tagged: spirited energy
