Danny needs more Fibre 5

Next up is the interview between Danny Williams and David Cochrane CBC Here and Now
November 14-06

David Cochrane:

Premier the Liberals say this 15 million dollar investment to Persona Rogers and Allstream amounts to cronyism cause of your connection to Dean MacDonald and Ken Marshall – and there’s a lot of people in the public that seem to agree with them – gauging by the reaction. What’s your response to this criticism?

Danny:

I mean there’s nothing further from the truth I mean this is a tremendous investment – when you analyze the investment from a health perspective from an education perspective from a business perspective from a competition and cost perspective – there’s huge savings and huge benefits here – I mean we were the only jurisdiction in certainly in Canadian and probably in North America that didn’t have a competitive system – so this is all about a long-term view of Newfoundland and Labrador and linking us up to the rest of the world – whether that be communications – whether it be hydro – whether it be pipelines – or anything else – I mean this is a tremendous investment we just invested 15 million dollars in Cooke Aquaculture – a company interestingly enough that is from New Brunswick – not a peep not a word not a question was raised at the time.
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It is important to note that many of the comments made by the Premier are repeats of what he said to NTV News - however - all of his words on this deal are important.

There is a need to fully reveal the huge savings and huge benefits - and whether or not they could have been achieved with any other company or consortium of companies.

The Premier continues to talk about the competitive system in Newfoundland and Labrador versus the country and continent - it is important that he and appropriate Cabinet Ministers articulate precisely what the difference is between this province and other jurisdictions - so that we may know what this new policy is supposed to achieve - and once again whether or not the only way to achieve it is by committing 15 million dollars of taxpayers money to the Persona - Rogers - MTS Allstream deal.

The Premier also needs to come clean - as does Dean MacDonald on the whole telecom sector in Canada and the review being undertaken by the CRTC in the fall of 2007. There is no reason that Persona or Rogers should not be in a position to develop this infrastructure from private money - and then compete with Aliant for government business - including the sale and maintenance of a couple of fibre optic strands.

The continuation by the Premier to compare this to an Aquaculture deal with Cooke is outrageous and demonstrates the desperation of Williams to find an excuse - any excuse to justify Political Patronage Persona(fied).

Also of note - for the second time on the same day the Premier talks about a provincial commitment to Cooke Aquaculture of 15 million dollars. Does the Premier know - or can he tell us if there has been a change in the 10 million dollar investment to Cooke Aquaculture announced a couple of weeks ago.

Further note that the Province contributed 10 million to achieve a private sector investment of 135 million dollars while in the fibre optic deal the Province contributes 15 million to gain a private sector investment of 37 million. Please note according to various Ministers we do or we do not have an equity or share position of some sort with the Cooke deal.