MANITOBA'S Progressive Conservatives have taken to the World Wide Web to spread their message.
In the last few weeks, the Official Opposition has posted its partisan attacks on the popular video-sharing website, YouTube.
The first video pillories Health Minister Theresa Oswald and the closure of rural emergency rooms.
Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen said the Tories plan to use the Internet to tell the public about how poorly the Doer government is performing.
McFadyen said using YouTube costs the party nothing in advertising, and keeps it under a government-imposed advertising cap.
"These are the lines we're operating under in Gary Doer's Manitoba."
McFadyen has argued the cap is too low and is almost an unconstitutional ban on free political speech.
Under Bill 37, the omnibus election reform package introduced last spring, the NDP wanted to set that cap at $75,000 in a non-election year. The NDP later agreed to lift that cap when the Tories threatened to go to court.
Only in an election year -- the next provincial vote is likely in June 2011 -- will there be a $150,000 advertising spending cap.
It's expected Bill 37, which was held up by the Tories last spring, will pass next month in the hold-over session with several other amendments.
bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca
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