WE MOVED
WE MOVED TO
That’s easy!
Click on over and change your bookmarks when you get there.
Oh give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, don’t fence me in…
Development and corruption in small islands
Hans Connor makes some interesting points about the informal decision making in small jurisdictions which may to some extent explain what happens on PEI. Economic Development and Small Islands: the risk of corruption.
“The propensity for small-scale corruption. We’ve seen that here on PEI, too. Yes, the downside of the close-knit communities for which islands are known is that it is easy for interested parties to access decision-makers. Bureaucratic checks and balances found in continental jurisdictions don’t exist.”
The article is one in a series he has presented on Island Studies and Island issues in a Prince Edward Island context which are well thought out and presented.
Campbell Webster on Gordon Cobb boulevardier
By Stephen Pate
January 18th, 2009
Campbell Webster’s description of Gordon Cobb as a boulevardier is one of the best comments on the “Cobb affair”, Guardian Gordon Cobb: King of the Gruntlings . As an aspiring boulevadier myself, I instantly knew Webster was absolutely right. Gordon is “an eminently gregarious conversationalist, spreading good cheer and stimulating conversation up and down the boulevards of his community.” I can’t think of a single instance when meeting Gordon on Victoria Row, at Churchill Arms or walking along University Avenue didn’t put a smile on my face. Last summer things seemed a little strained and now we understand why. Gordon was conflicted. Thankfully for him and the good cheer of Charlottetown’s social set, Gordon has shed the Ghiz Liberal shennanigans and we can expect more good cheer in 2009.
As for Ghiz’ opinion, does anyone care? I’ve never seen a Premier go from hero to goat in such a short time. I experienced his poor treatment within months of the election and personally warned him he as turning supporters into critics. He didn’t seem to care. Ghiz may have power for awhile and he may have absconded with money but he has few friends in town anymore. Robert just has the ones he bought and even they will abandon him at the right moment. What did he say on Compass “I know who my friend are.”
I can’t wait for my turn
Innovation Minister Allan Campbell gave Master Packaging CEO Mary Jean Irving $725,000 for each new job (CBC)
CBC reported that Mary Jean Irving is getting 75% of the cost of expanding the box plant in Borden as a loan New jobs coming to box plant in Borden-Carleton
“Master Packaging launched a $19.3-million expansion to its plant at the foot of P.E.I.’s Confederation Bridge on Wednesday.P.E.I. is putting up a $14.5-million loan to help pay for the expansion.”
That’s $725,000 per job. Pretty expensive jobs.
I’m thinkin’ of starting a new business this year but I’ll only need about $100,000 for one job – me.
Guess they’ll be ready for me arms and cheque book wide open. The government treats everyone the same.
They can give the rest of the money to someone else, like you.
Does Auditor General want to know the truth?
Statute of Liberty, Send me your rich, Robert Ghiz
By Stephen Pate
NJN Network
January 12, 2009
The story in Saturday’s Guardian, Probe widens into PNP, has the Auditor General ice fishing in the cold, dark night when he has the fish in his freezer.
Theresa Wright, Guardian reporter, reports
“He’s (Auditor General) putting the word out to any immigrants who fit this bill he’s interested in hearing from them if they would like to provide information. Younker’s office has placed ads in local newspapers to get the word out.”
If that’s true, I guess he’s hoping not to hear much from the Chinese Immigrants.
Wake up Olive! Demand an inquiry
Opposition Leader Olive Crane calls for public inquiry, photo from CBC News
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
January 9, 2009
with story from the Guardian
The Guardian reports Olive Crane is calling for public inquiry in to the PNP Immigrant Scam. She made that comment on CBC Compass but in both cases she seems hardly awake.
Is she sick with that flu?
She’s going to let Ghiz slip through her fingers with all that Kings County “I’m-just-a-country-girl” charm.
Cobb drives nails in Ghiz government’s coffin
Gordon Cobb, aide to Innovation Minister Richard Brown, forced to tell all
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
January 8, 2009
The revelations this week from Gordon Cobb, Innovation Minister Richard Brown’s aide, are driving nails in the Liberal government coffin.The latest Guardian story Guardian: PNP adviser quits over ‘bad decisions’ is another nail in the Liberal coffin. Cobb is essentially saying the program was as bad or worse than the rumours.Ghiz is whistling past the graveyard with his attempts to disparage Cobb “It’s unfortunate that we have a disgruntled employee who is upset basically because his advice wasn’t taken,” Ghiz said.” Expect worse comments to come.
Graphic jumps into lead on PNP, CBC lags way behind
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
The Guardian has been doing an improving job of covering the PNP Immigrant Scam; however, this week the Eastern Graphic and publisher Paul MacNeill made a giant leap ahead of everyone with the exclusive coverage of Richard Brown aide Gordon Cobb’s resignation. CBC is not engaged yet and we still wonder why.In one story, the Eastern and West Prince Graphic, both owned by MacNeill’s Island Press, blew the lid off the the Robert Ghiz cover story about the PNP. We expect the new Liberal Big Lie real soon: Mr. Cobb didn’t work on the file, we never hired him and who is Gordon Cobb anyway?
Liberal budget forum breakthrough strategy
100 people attended a pre-budget consultation meeting in West Royalty Tuesday night listen The meeting was hosted by Murphy and Malpeque MP Wayne Easter on the upcoming federal budget should contain. Guardian photo
By Stephen Pate
PEI Disability Alert
The participants at the Liberal pre-budget forum Primary industries must lead economic recovery, pre-budget forum told gave MP’s Shawn Murphy and Wayne Easter some good advice.I had the flu so couldn’t attend: here’s what I intended to say.We need to look back at what the world needs. It doesn’t need more cars or plasma TV’s. A world food crisis is at our doors. The farmers are right. It’s not chic or trendy to be a farmer. It’s just more important.
Gordon Cobb refutes Ghiz big lies
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
January 6, 2009 10 PM
with story from Eastern & West Prince Graphic
Gordon Cobb, the aide to PEI Innovation Minister Richard Brown has admitted the Ghiz government was hiding the truth from Islanders.Premier Ghiz has proven himself to be a smooth talking, lying used-car salesman. That’s not fair: there are lots of honest used-car salesman. Joke: how do you know when Premier Ghiz is lying? When he opens his mouth.
Eastern Graphic cracks PNP egg, Gordon Cobb spills the beans
By Paul MacNeill
Eastern and West Prince Graphic
January 6, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: Richard Brown aide quits over mishandling of PNP
A senior aide to Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown has left the department citing concerns over management of the controversial Provincial Nominee Program. And Gordon Cobb confirms he is discussing those issues with the provincial Auditor-General.
“I raised my objections verbally(with Minister Brown) over and over again. Very strongly,” Mr Cobb said in an exclusive interview with The Graphic. “This was a really big disappointment.
No snow job
Charlottetown, just another June day (CBC News photo)
By Stephen Pate
We are not writing stories about the weather. Too many writers without a thought in their heads are writing stories about weather all the time. You can search Google for weather stories until your brain is numb and then watch “Survivors”.
We think weather only clutters up a story. Does it really matter to music if the night was dark and cloudy?
The chances are 100% that the night will be dark and cloudy isn’t that far behind.
Take the raise if you dare
The Guardian editorial reports Take the raise, take the grief and we agree with them.
“Island MLAs no doubt feel they deserve their recently approved salary increases, but they shouldn’t be surprised if they get grief from the public. MLAs and cabinet ministers are paid much more than many Islanders.
The Indemnities and Allowances Commission recently approved salary increases of 2.5 per cent, pushing the premier’s annual salary to $136,438, cabinet ministers’ and Opposition leader’s salaries to $111,032, and MLAs’ salaries to $65,344.”
On December 2, 2008, we wrote Money is the new ecstasy for the Liberals
“Today the Liberals vote themselves big raises for the spring.
Considering the Federal government is taking all measures to save money during the coming depression, what is going on in the heads of Robert Ghiz and his band of Merry Boys and Girls?
Don’t tell me they gave up lucrative jobs in the private sector to serve the public. The current salary earned by Ghiz and the band of Merry Boys and Girls is at least double what they earned before they got elected.”
The Liberal Millionaires Club don’t deserve more money but it is their drug of choice.
Guardian censors letter, what are they hiding?
Letter Censored but not for space reasons
By Stephen Pate
PEI Disability Alert
January 3, 2009
The letter below re-printed from the Dec. 26, 2008 Guardian is a highly censored version of the letter submitted to the Guardian. It completely removed my argument in the second paragraph that the Liberal government has the money to cover seniors wheelchairs but uses it for patronage. It also removed a call to Christian charity during the Christmas season and specific details about the promise from Ghiz’ government.
We strongly protest the revision which changes the fundamental meaning of the letter. This censorship is an abridgement of our fundamental freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 2 which states,
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
…b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression including freedom of the press and other media of communication
The very same sentence that guarantees freedom of the press guarantees freedom for all citizens to express their thoughts, beliefs and words.
Ghiz sends in the clowns
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
Janaury 2, 2009
The hockey game is going badly. Down 2 to zip, the fans are getting rowdy in the stands. Team manager Ghiz looks around and sees a tired bench. Desperate, he sends in the clowns to waste ice time until his best players are rested.
Minister Allan Campbell falls flat on the ice over Aliant deal
Premier Ghiz’s game is going badly. The Public Accounts shut-down smells like a week old mackerel. The Eastern Graphic and Guardian say taxpayers might be on the hook for $400 million. NJN News calls the PNP scandal money laundering.
And the Cynthia Dunsford’s riding president quits over an $8 million patronage deal with Aliant that his employer EastLink didn’t get to bid on.
CBC reports Minister broke the law
Allan Campbell says Eastlink submitted an unsolicited proposal to provide rural high-speed internet service. (CBC)
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
January 1, 2008
with story from CBC
CBC reported December 30th, 2008 - No RFP required for Internet deal: minister which means Minister Campbell has broken the law on PEI.
The CBC did not report the illegality of the no tender contract or even question the Minister’s statement which is somewhat unusual. Their story just blandly reports the Campbell’s claim as though he is correct with no research or other opinion.
Rural Development Minister Campbell is reported as saying “There was no need to issue a request for proposals for high-speed Internet service to rural areas of P.E.I., the province’s rural development minister says, because all the major service providers had already submitted proposals.”
The rookie minister is obviously unschooled in public sector procurement policies, the law and the specific laws of Prince Edward Island. Some of the CBC readers apparently know more than Campbell.
According the the PEI Public Purchasing Act and Regulations sections 3 and 4, all goods and services for the Province must be purchased by public tender. Contracts valued at greater than $50,000 must be advertised across the region to comply with Maritime Procurement agreements. NAFTA requires international bidding on contracts worth $8 million such as the Aliant telecom sweetheart deal.
Liberal party executive and workers revolt
By Stephen Pate, NJN News
December 31, 2008
with story from the Guardian
Wellington Gay’s resignation as riding president of the Liberal Party in Stratford Kinlock is striking a chord with many Islanders disenchanted with the Ghiz oligarchy.
Despite promising real change for Islanders, Premier Robert Ghiz has just changed a few players at the top and the rich and powerful of PEI are back in control. This is not democracy it is a true oligarchy according the one Liberal party insider. Guardian, The weak and powerless just have to wait
Sweetheart deal gives Aliant Rural Internet
Development agreement with Aliant for broadband Internet services to every community on the Island. From left front, are Premier Robert Ghiz and Bruce Howatt, vice-president of Aliant for P.E.I. Standing are Richard Brown, minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning, and Allan Campbell, minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development. Guardian photo by Brian McInnis
By Stephen Pate
NJN News, December 31, 2008
with Guardian story Nov 13, 2008
The Guardian in November 2008 reported that Premier Robert Ghiz has given both the lucrative rural Internet franchise and it’s telecom business for the next five years worth $40 million. Rural P.E.I. will get to surf Internet The Guardian 12:15 AM on 13/11/08.
Without more than an unsolicited proposal Rural Development Minister Alan Campbell ladled out the patronage spending to Aliant.
Rural residents of PEI will be getting hi-speed internet service but is it the best service at the best cost?
The Province of PEI has a Public Purchasing Act and Regulations that require all purchases of goods and services over $5,000 to be publicly advertised and tendered. Perhaps the rookie Minister forgot to check with Treasurer Wes Sheridan.
Media see the light on PNP Immigrant Scam
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
December 30, 2008
For months Liberal Millionaires Club, NJN News and “This Hour has 5 & 1/2 Minutes” have been reporting and calling the PNP Immigrant Scam the biggest political scandal in PEI’s history.
It’s nice to see the Guardian agree with us today Nominee program 2008 News Story of Year.
On Friday November 21, 2008 Guardian Editor Gary MacDougall took offense at the characterization. He pulled our comments off the Guardian website, stopped printing PEI Disability Alert letters to the editor or had those letters heavily censored. Read the rest of this entry »
CBC corruption evident in Conservative bias with Gail Shea
By Stephen Pate 
NJN News
December 24th, 5:30 PM, Christmas Eve
December 24th at 4:17 PM. CBC reported “Rookie MP turned federal cabinet minister is P.E.I.’s top newsmaker”.
The choice of Gail Shea, no slight to Minister Shea, demonstrates yet again the effect of corruption and low ethical standards at CBC Charlottetown.
The CBC editorial staff choice ignores the obvious political corruption on PEI that allowed the Ghiz Liberals to defeat the Liberal candidate,Premier Ghiz lost the election up west.
It completely sidesteps the $400 million PNP Immigrant Scam story and its participants for a low importance electoral win that was heavily influenced by the Liberal government of Robert Ghiz.
If CBC had reported on the “Ghiz influence” on the election that would have been a story, but not the story of the year.
Overheard on CBC website
Duffy moving back to P.E.I., PMO says
Well the Duff is moving back to PEI for the $130K salary. It’s probably a come down from his CTV position in money but who wouldn’t like the red robes. No that’s the Supreme Court.
If you are a good reporter, as in don’t rock the boat, you too can get elevated to a high government position.
The Guardian has been a spring board to the PEI Government for Townsend, Ryder and others.
A CBC Charlottetown reporter’s job is always good for some PNP units and CTV gave us Wallen and Duffy.
Everytime you watch the news, take your pulse and check your reality meter. They may be just polishing their resumes.
PNP $400 million money laundering scam
Robert Ghiz, centre of PNP money laundering ?
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
The Provincial Nominee Program PNP is a money laundering scheme worth $400 million. The PNP or Immigrant Scam will put $400 million into the bank accounts of businesses, party faithful and PEI politicians, including we suspect Premier Ghiz himself. Because of the liabilities involved, the final bill will rest with every taxpayer on PEI.
Money laundering is simply a series of transactions that may look legal and innocent when considered separately but the effect is to move money from one party to another without detection. We hear of drug money being laundered through foreign banks and returned to Canada through investments in business and real estate to give it a legitimate appearance. Money laundering attempts to disguise the source of the money.
Brown whistling past the graveyard
Denies $400 million PNP liability
By Stephen Pate
NJN News with Guardian story
Innovation Minister Richard Brown is in a high state of denial by refusing the concede PEI is at all involved in liability over PNP program. His principal legal advice is Bill Dow, a relative of Premier Ghiz, according to sources which is of questionable merit.
The assertion that the Province did not run the program will not stand up in public or in court. “Our website was quite clear that this was a private transaction between a private company and a private individual and that the government’s role here was just basically to do some paperwork in between.” says Brown in the Guardian.
The Province acted unilaterally in ignoring the guidelines of the Federal Government, processed the applications from both the investor and investee sides, acted as the principal gatekeeper. Brown boasted at the Public Accounts Committe hearings that the Province of PEI made an $8 million profit on the program that his staff should be proud of.
Brown’s pre-New Year’s Resolution to stop talking about the Immigrant Scam for 2 years until the Auditor General reports didn’t last long.
Brown denies $400 million PNP liability
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Innovation Minister Richard Brown broke his silence on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Monday to defend allegations the province could potentially be on the hook for $400 million of immigrant investment funds.
Non-denial denial from Tim Banks
In Watergate-speak intrepid reporters and their editor at the Washington Post called replies meant to throw you off the trail – “non-denial denials”.
In other words, not a denial at all but when the facts come out, the “non-denial denial” can be shown to be in truth an “almost-admission.”
Tim Banks, who has his nose deeply in the Liberal patronage trough, keeps trying to throw the bloodhounds off his trail on the PNP question. Not if he got any, but how many did he get.
Dec 21,2008 Tim Banks issued another non-denial denial. Oh Tim, you’re so cute with words.
“so on the PNP front I went to OpenCorporations.org and I was in fact the name that was searched the most… so I strolled through the 25 or so Companies I’m involved in and I couldn’t find any Wing’s, Wang’s or Wong’s… so I moved on to…”
Tim Banks Porsche, oh so lonely
He just does that to get attention. It’s lonely at the top and a Porsche is just a Porsche.
Spinfree EXCLUSIVE: PNP $400 million liability?
By Paul MacNeill
The Eastern Graphic
December 22, 2008
Paul MacNeill, publisher Eastern Graphic
The Ghiz government has exposed the Island to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in financial liability by pushing through 1,877 immigrant investor files last summer. At the same time it ignored the recommendations of its own consultant and warnings from a senior federal bureaucrat that those investors may never win entry into Canada.
The liability revelation is contained in documents written by a Charlottetown consulting company with expertise in corporate strategies, capital growth, regulatory frameworks and commissioned by Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown.
Earlier this fall The Graphic requested a copy of the report under the provincial Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The province has yet to release it.
However, this paper has obtained a copy of the report written by Serge Serviant of the EmaNote Corporation as well as other documentation. A memorandum to Minister Brown states the primary purpose for the creation of the report is “to meet the requirements of preventing abuse or privilege under the law.” Read the rest of this entry »
Five and 1/2 Minutes off for Christmas
“This Hour has Five and ½ Minutes” will not be published this week due to the holiday.
The spirit of Christmas is in family and Christian charity, the spirit of giving to others especially those less fortunate than ourselves.
May we all have a Merry Christmas and renew that spirit in our lives.
In recent stories we commented on Wayne Thibodeau of the Charlottetown Guardian. Yesterday we learned that Wayne has been dealing with a serious family health issue which is the reason for his absence. We humbly apologize to Wayne for those comments. We hope and pray that the situation gets better.
Merry Christmas to all.
Stephen Pate
NJN News Network
Overheard at Cole’s building reading room
Richard Brown, PEI Minister of Innovation at Public Accounts Committee hearings, Pate photo
Wednesday December 17th, 2008 (before the Public Accounts Committee hearing with testimony from Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation)
“Great day Richard. Are you nervous?”
“Not in the least,” replied Richard.
“Well you’ll be in the hot-seat today.”
“Ha, I’ve been there before.”
“Listen, Richard, any chance of getting a job with your department in the new year?”
“I don’t know if I’ll have a job with the department in the new year,” Richard deadpanned and went into the hearings.
Ghiz earns 2008 Scrooge Award to the Disabled
Letter to the Editor
December 17th, 2008
Robert Ghiz earns 2008 Scrooge Award to the Disabled
PEI Disability Alert is giving the “2008 Scrooge to the Disabled” award to PEI Premier Robert Ghiz for not delivering on his promise to put seniors into the PEI Disability Support Program. This is the first official year for this award, although Premier Pat Binns did get honourable mention in our December 20, 2006 article “PEI Government plays Scrooge to Islanders with disabilities”.
Premier Ghiz has mismanaged the reported $400 million in Immigrant Investment. He is wasting $200 million annually on patronage by sole sourcing government business that should be tendered. He lavishes money on large corporations like the recent $30 million low-interest loan to build another luxury hotel in Charlottetown.
Despite all that, Premier Ghiz refuses to keep his promise and spend a small amount on the 2,300 seniors with disabilities who still need a wheelchair, hearing aid or other device.
That is a Scrooge of grand proportions. Scrooge wouldn’t put a lump of coal on the fire for his employee. Scrooge begrudged all expense except for himself.
We believe the award is well earned by our Premier Robert Ghiz.
We hope the Premier enjoys his holidays with not a material or health care in the world. Maybe as he reflects on the true spirit of Christmas he will have a change of heart and show compassion on those less fortunate than his family.
Take Richard Brown’s word with a grain of salt
By Stephen Pate
NJN News
Innovation Minister Richard Brown says Chinese Immigrants get their money back: the Guardian says that’s not true.
We can take almost all of what Richard Brown says with a grain of salt. It’s too bad they didn’t keep the Committee going longer on Wednesday since Brown was tiring like a boxer on the ropes. Another hour and he would have been spilling the beans.
Innovation Minister Richard Brown, we give them their money back, Stephen Pate photo
During the PNP hearings at the PEI Legislature Public Accounts Committee Richard protested over and over the immigrants get their “good faith” deposit back promptly.
We don’t know why that’s not true but apparently it’s another in the long string of big lies the Ghiz government wants us to swallow.
Guardian reporter Theresa Wright reports that the Chinese Immigrants are having trouble getting their money back.
Apparently family sickness and the inability to find work on PEI are not good enough excuses for Investment Development Inc. (IIDI). They are putting these people through a paper maze that only appears when they arrive on PEI.
Give your head a shake: are 1,800 immigrant families going to find work instantly on PEI. We’ve worked with immigrants from Africa, Europe and South America. PEI hires it’s own sons and daughters first. The employment situation on PEI is already desperate: almost every home on PEI has someone working out West these days.
The PEI government has created a lobster trap for the Chinese Immigrants – easy to get in, hard to get out without leaving something of yourself behind.
Immigrants find it hard to get back PNP deposit
Theresa Wright
The Guardian
A Chinese woman who came to P.E.I. though the Provincial Nominee Program says the rules of the program keep changing and now getting her good faith deposit back seems impossible.
Ghiz Liberals want state controlled media
PEI is a banana republic, freedom of the press soon gone
By Stephen Pate
NJN Network News
The Guardian reports this am “Committee shuts PNP debate”. It’s ironic that Buck Watts Liberal MLA in the picture with Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Jim Bagnall wants to shut down the media, or at least put a good “spin” on the PNP scandal.
Jim Bagnall throws his hands up in despair at Liberal shut down of PAC, Buck Watts dreams of state controlled media. Guardian photo by Heather TaweelPEI lurches closer and closer to a third-world, banana republic as the Liberal government shuts down a Legislative committee investigating Immigrant SCAM, our $400 million government scandal.
Is everyone on PEI in the take? Quite a bit of the media is and Bucky is warning them to turn on the good news “spin.”
CBC reporter John Jeffery has his nose in the patronage trough and won’t get it out. His boss Henk Van Leeuwen thinks that’s fine. Is Henk hoping to get one of those 2009 model PNP’s worth $1 million?
So does the CBC Ombudsman. Come on, it’s only a $200,000 bribe, hardly enough to turn the head of a seasoned CBC reporter.
Over at the Guardian, senior political reporter Wayne Thibodeau is no where to be found. There he is on EastLink cable playing footsie with Wes Sheridan, PEI’s bank-clerk come Treasurer.
Big Lie # 3 – PNP creates jobs
For a scam as big as the immigrant scam you need big lies. The first and second big lies were 1) the money went into legitimate businesses and 2) it was a private deal with no government influence.
The Third Big Lie is: the PNP money created jobs.
Innovation Minister Richard Brown said over and over at the Public Accounts Committee hearing “The money created jobs. It saved jobs from the coming recession.
Tim Banks, a businessman puts his PNP units and Air Miles together
Big Lie # 3. Here’s what PNP windfall money did: it allowed business owners and the other recipients to indulge themselves.
So we’re putting togethter a list of things that you can but with PNP units. We’re taking $40,000 as the average a “business man” would get.
Tim Banks would only needed 4 PNP units to get this.
Porsche = 4 PNP units
