MANITOBA

Thumbs up… to the newly-elected NDP government for banning the commercial-laden Youth News Network from Manitoba schools.

Thumbs up… to the government for their promise to keep Manitoba Hydro in public hands.

Thumbs up… to the government for pledging to reduce tuition fees by 10 per cent.

Thumbs down… to the privately-managed Winnipeg hospital kitchen, USSC. The poorly-managed project underestimated costs and the central kitchen is too small to meet the needs of the nine hospitals it’s supposed to serve. The city’s two biggest hospitals can’t use the kitchen, but are still paying for it, as well as operating their own food services. The new NDP government is stuck with an unbreakable 20-year deal that will cost $21 million — and counting.