Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
MPI playing politics with poll question: Tories
MANITOBA Public Insurance is being accused of spending ratepayer funds to take the political pulse of the province on behalf of its NDP masters.
In a survey being carried out on its behalf, MPI is asking 800 Manitobans whether they think the province is "going in the right direction" or whether things "have gotten off on the wrong track."
The question is tacked on to a large survey asking Manitobans their opinion about safe driving, auto theft and other issues. An MPI spokesman said Monday the Crown corporation has asked the question in surveys since 2000.
But Mavis Taillieu, the Progressive Conservative party's MPI critic, wonders what possible benefit the auto insurer and driver's licence issuer could gain from such a question.
"I definitely think they're crossing the line here," the Morris MLA said, adding that MPI ratepayers shouldn't foot the bill for what appears to be a politically motivated question.
"To me, that is the NDP getting polling done for nothing," Taillieu charged.
A government spokeswoman said Monday the province has no involvement in MPI's surveys. "We had nothing to do with the questions. These are questions that MPI had decided on. So the rationale for the question would have to go to MPI. There was no political motive in it," she said.
Brian Smiley, an MPI spokesman, said the Crown corporation asks the question to help provide a "context" for the results of other questions it asks in its polling.
Smiley said the results of the poll are only provided to managers, staff and the corporation's board of directors. MPI board members are appointed by the provincial government. Included among them is Daryl Reid, the Transcona NDP MLA, according to the Crown corporation's website.
The poll, one of four surveys MPI commissions annually, is being carried out by Prairie Research Associates. It's costing the Crown corporation $20,000. Meanwhile, a local pollster said Monday the question at issue is atypical for a company asking clients or the public about its products or services.
"I'm not sure why they would ask about the overall sentiment of the community," Probe Research Inc. president Scott MacKay said.
Questions tracking public contentment are often asked by polling firms trying to get a sense of the mood in advance of an election, MacKay said.
"They generally correlate very strongly to voting intentions. That is, those who say the country or province is on the wrong track... are more inclined to support opposition parties," he said. "So it does seem a little strange that they would ask that question."
Question asked of MPI customers:
"Now I would like you to think about things in Manitoba in general and not just about Manitoba Public Insurance in particular. Would you say that things in Manitoba are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track? (Would you say you feel that is strongly or somewhat the case?) (PROMPT: We are asking about your impression of things generally in Manitoba.)"
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2010 A3
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