When federal and provincial funding is your primary funding source - in 2010, such grants accounted for over 37 per cent of the City of Thompson's revenues - it's interesting to see what the city sends in the other direction.
Not money, of course - but a lobbying list recently released by the city shows which federal and provincial cabinet ministers the city lobbies, and for which issues.
Federally, there's only one issue, and it likely comes as no surprise which one. "Vale announcement" is listed as the sole issue on which the city lobbies four federal ministers - Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, who is also the government's senior minister for Manitoba, Industry Minister Tony Clement, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification Lynne Yelich, and Public Works and Government Services Minister Christian Paradis are all listed as targets of the city's lobbying efforts on that issue.
Vale also occupies two spots on the provincial lobbying list. It's the sole issue for which the city lobbies Premier Greg Selinger directly, while Innovation, Energy and Mining Minister Dave Chomiak - who is part of the political team interacting directly with Vale on the issue - is the other Manitoba minister actively lobbied.
Chomiak's Thompson connections also include a second issue - the 2012 negotiations between the city, the province, and Vale on the continued relationship between all three.
The busiest minister, at least when it comes to number of issues in communication with the city on, is Infrastructure and Transportation Minister (and Thompson MLA) Steve Ashton. The city lobbies Ashton on six issues, including construction of the new University College of the North (UCN), child care at UCN, proposals to turn Thompson into a 911 emergency call hub for the North, distribution of video lottery terminal (VLT) revenues, the province's contribution to the Thompson Regional Community Centre, and the possibility of further involvement for Thompson in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Also in regular communication with the city, with five Thompson issues brought to his attention, is Justice Minister Andrew Swan. The city lobbies Swan on several crime-related issues, including the procurement of additional RCMP officers for the domestic violence and drug and gang units, hosting a Northern conference on drugs and gangs, creating a Northern Crime Prevention Centre, working on solutions to bylaw enforcement and downtown issues in Thompson, and correctional facilities.
Other provincial ministers lobbied by the City of Thompson include Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick (the Churchill River diversion), Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie (wastewater treatment), Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors Minister Jim Rondeau (a new detox centre), Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux (the city's new water utility as well as boundary expansion), Family Affairs and Consumer Services Minister Gord Mackintosh (child care as well as the water utility, through the Residential Tenancies Branch which Mackintosh also oversees), and Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross (affordable housing and the detox centre).
