Two thumbs up to Marty Gold for doing some digging into MPI's recent announcement to sell its surplus building to Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre.

According to Marty Gold, the donation of MPI's surplus building on King St. was no small contribution - it reportedly has an assessed value of $1.2 million. Ideally, if MPI has a surplus asset, it should be sold off and the funds used to fulfill MPI's mandate - providing low-cost vehicle insurance to Manitobans.

Critics may argue that selling off the asset may have only reduced premiums by a couple dollars per vehicle, but that's not the point. Taxpayers should have the right to decide how their money is spent, not the government. Again, MPI's role is to provide low cost vehicle insurance, not to get into social policy and help the province appear to be doing good deeds (see Minister Andrew Swann's free publicity in the news release and at the press conference). 

However, as we have seen in the past, the province clearly has a different view on the role of our 'beloved' crown corporation. Who could forget the Doer government's plan to use MPI's $20 million surplus for fixing up university buildings back in 2001 or the "secret donation" to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2008?

While some would defend those initiatives as well-intentioned, few would come to MPI's rescue and defend its $10,000 donation towards buying gifts for out of town politicians.

Yes, that's right, back in 2006 when Manitoba hosted the Western Premiers' Conference, MPI and other crowns were asked to contribute towards purchasing gifts for visiting politicians. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation discovered the expenditures in 2008 so it didn't attract too much media attention, but it was discovered that MPI donated $10,000; even though they were only asked to contribute $8,000. How generous of them.

Spread the word folks, with an election coming up in 2011, candidates should be pressed to speak out against such manipulation of our crowns.