MANITOBA TORIES IRK OPPOSITION WITH AD PUSH
By Adnews Staff
The Conservative government in Manitoba plans to run an image-boosting campaign this spring that will focus on what it is doing for health care, and this is bringing cries of outrage from the opposition. The TV and direct mail campaign will begin in about three weeks. The ads will focus on programs such as nurse-managed care and a breast cancer screening program. They were created by Biggar Ideas of Winnipeg, an agency owned by Barb Biggar, a top aide to Premier Gary Filmon until she left politics to start her agency two years ago. The value of the contract for this campaign stands at $350,000. The NDP party says this could go up to $1.5 million but the Tories say this is not true. The NDP complains the government is using taxpayers' money on a feel-good campaign to make itself look good. The Tories contend that the NDP has been spreading misinformation about the state of health care in Manitoba and the ad campaign is needed to set the record straight.