Archive for November 2008
Is the PEI Media on the take? – NJN special report
The NJN special edition tackles the tough topic – is the PEI media on the take?
With PNP money flowing in all directions, what impact is that having on local reporting of PEI’s biggest scandal in history.
Brooke, it’s your lucky day!
Brooke MacMillan resigns as Richard Brown’s deputy, immediately applies for PNP free-money, jumps a 12 month approval queue and gets appointed as CEO of the PEI Liquor Commission all in one day.
Why does it take so long to look at the needs of Islanders with disabilities?
Statistics Canada told us 4 years ago and in June 2008: there are 4,000 Islanders with disabilities who need a wheelchair, scooter, glasses, hearing aids and other assistive devices for the disabled. How can the Premier decide so quick with one of his drinking and poker playing buddies and take so long with those in real need.
This is obviously a conflict of interest, breach of trust and out right fraud that the Premier can’t send it to the tame Conflict of Interest Commissioner. Does Robert Ghiz live in la-la land? Islanders know he is lying and don’t trust him one bit.
Muffy, Premier Ghiz's dog, can't believe her ears how lucky Brooke MacMillan is
The Guardian reports – if you can believe it -
“We received a number of complaints from the accounting firms and the businesses, thinking it was unfair that they were cut off from this program without notice.”
So they opened it up again between Aug. 5 and 6th “to give them proper notice and proper closure,” Brown said.
Richard, you’re such a liar with your cotton candy story.
Oh and that just happens to be the day Brooke was planning on retiring and then the Premier said to his dog
“Muffy I know just the right man to keep a lid on all those bottles at the Liquor Commission.”
Good story Theresa.
Richard Brown stalls, weeps and blows hot air
Richard Brown - he laughed, he cried, he bellowed (Guardian photo)
By Stephen Pate, NJN News
Yesterday at the Public Accounts Hearing into the Liberal Immigrant Scam, Minister of Innovation Richard Brown put on his best performance in ages. Theresa Wright did OK coverage in the Guardian but her best story of the day was yet to come. CBC could have called their coverage from a beach in Florida.
He cried crocodile tears which was almost Academy Award material. He droned on for over an hour with a surprisingly informative survey of the Immigrant Investment program from the early 90’s. I’d give him a B. Better grades when he openly talks about the political manipulation of the program from the beginning. Funny how he forgot everything he told me in the past about the program. Must be the lights in the meeting room.
When Jim Bagnall mentioned phone calls from immigrants saying they were asked to pay bribes by the interviewers in China and Dubai, he rose to great rhetorical heights taking the question as an affront to 3.500 civil servants. Why? Were the ones on the junket splitting the profits with the whole civil service when they got back to PEI?
Ghiz government imploding over PNP
By Paul MacNeil
Publisher, Eastern Graphic and West Prince Graphic
For weeks we’ve the heard rumours. The lead bureaucrat in charge of the controversial Provincial Nominee Program, former Innovation and Advanced Technology deputy minister Brooke MacMillan, had himself benefited from the program. Rumours are one thing; proving it is quite another. Much of the story of PNP is hidden behind a maze of corporate filings that have made it virtually impossible to tell the true story.
But last Friday an amazing thing happened after the Conservative opposition threw some pointed questions at Innovation Minister Richard Brown. The minister was asked point blank about his former deputy.Brown tried to dodge. He attempted to throw it back at the opposition by claiming such a question would not be asked outside the confines of the floor of the Legislative Assembly and the immunity it offers.
Shortly after the exchange, MacMillan, who on August 6 left Innovation to take up the ultimate patronage plum as CEO of the PEI Liquor Commission, issued a short press release confirming that he has indeed benefited from PNP.According to MacMillan he received money under both the Conservatives and Liberals. However, he says he did not receive any money while serving as deputy minister.
If the release was intended to put the issue to rest it did not. Not by a long shot. Far more questions need to be asked. This is a far more serious issue than the Premier’s curt ‘there is no conflict’ quip after he was questioned about his deputy’s business dealings.
Speak up now about windmills
Editor – As the letter writer points out, public health and safety are being ignored by the Liberal Government in the development of wind energy. Another big concern is that the Liberals are giving away the farm – our hope of energy self-sufficiency.
Related stories
Letter to the Editor
There has been a lot of talk lately about wind turbines coming to West Prince. Most of the attention has been paid to the development in Anglo Tignish.
This is however, only a small piece of the puzzle. If you live on or near North Cape Coastal Drive( Rte 14) or in Milo or Kildare or surrounding communities there is a good chance you will fall victim to wind turbines and high voltage power lines hovering over you home.
Aw, they closed the Guardian before quitting time.
St Paul, my kinda Christian and writer
By Stephen Pate
I’m not making this up. It’s too funny but too true.
I reported shenanigans over at the Guardian and I was right.
Here again is the offending comment -well the Saturday one.
Friday was just spite because we scooped them on the real story behind the Alanis Morissette concert.
Here’s the offensive quote – our ears can hardly stand it, send the children outside to play for a few minutes.
St. Paul
Stephen Pate from Charlottetown, PE writes:The plot thickens and the net widens on the biggest corruption scandal in PEI history. MLAs, secret numbered companies, hush money to civil servants, accounting and legal fees inflated many times beyond the norm for Atlantic Canada, now a Deputy and perhaps soon to be discoved Minister and the Premier?
Money is the great corrupter of mankind.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. 1st Timothy 16:10. True then, even more true today.
The Guardian printed this and took it down. Smacks of censorship but it is their ball and they can run home with it.
Cover up, baby it’s cold outside says Myrtle Jenkins Smith partner
Myrtle Jenkins Smith, behind every bush and Rollitt or Pollitt
The Guardian reports
Company offers clarification of concert role. Company spokesperson Carr-Rollitt is mainly trying to confuse the public. (We reprint the story below)
Rollitt says
Carr-Rollitt said Conference and Events Management Inc. began discussions with the promoter of Summerset Music Festival in November 2007 to organize a concert on P.E.I. and was hired as the event manager.
Since Summerset and Events management are controlled by the same two people what is he talking about. Did the Guardian research his claims or just print lies and obfuscation?
Mark Carr-Rollitt’s partner in the business is Myrtle Jenkins Smith and the promoter is called Outside Music Inc., formerly Summerset Music Festival. Anyone can check that out on the PEI Attorney General Business Names Registry on line or in person.
Comic relief from the Liberals
Alan MacIsaac’s private members bill is comic relief to the real issues of government and PEI. While people are worried about the economy, their jobs, fraud and embezzlement (like our buddy Brooke MacMillan) all the up the the Premier’s Office, here comes the jester acting like a country bumpkin.
“Hey fellers, look at me. I got a single idea in my head. Let’s change the sales tax system so you fellers will stop worrying about how dumb the Premier is and how dumb the cabinet is and where the money went from the vault.”
Every TV show and movie has comic relief. Big fat Andy Devine to Wild Bill Hickcock (see if you remember that one), Friar Tuck to Robin Hood, Meathead to Archie Bunker, and Kramer to Seinfeld.
They were big, sometimes gay or asexual so you never confuse them with the lead who might be funny too. The comic relief character breaks the tension, takes your mind off the plot and it’s problems.
Comic relief always has a silly voice, walk or mannerism. They get laughs just by entering the scene. Ha, ha ha – there’s Kramer again. Ha ha ha, there’s that silly Alan MacIsaac again.
Liberal Minister Ronnie McKinley willing to poison children for profit
Ronnie McKinley, Liberal Minister of Highways and Doctor of Death for our children
Editor – Disability Alert reported this story as the first article on the Liberal Millionaires Club on June 19, 2008 following up a story in the Guardian of a week earlier. We reported correctly then that the land, with a skim of dirt is another Love Canal in the making.
Love Canal, along the Niagara Rivers, was meant to be a dream community. Improper dumping of chemical wastes turned it into a tragedy with children dying of various cancers and children born with abnormal birth defects.
The US EPA reported:
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.–Twenty five years after the Hooker Chemical Company stopped using the Love Canal here as an industrial dump, 82 different compounds, 11 of them suspected carcinogens, have been percolating upward through the soil, their drum containers rotting and leaching their contents into the backyards and basements of 100 homes and a public school built on the banks of the canal.
Only a corrupt government would risk the lives of school children to make patronage profits for Ronnie McKinley and Clifford McQuaid.
Why didn’t the Province demand all the tainted soil be removed as it was on the corner of University Avenue for the new Jean Canfield Building? The reason is no doubt because the Federal Government doesn’t want to risk the health of adults, while the Provincial Government will sell our children into a poisonous play field for a few dollars.
The PEI Department of the Environment issued an all safe report for the sports field; however, how can Islanders trust them when the Minister George Webster is a polluting farmer?
Ronnie McKinley has always appealed to Islanders as a friendly, country kind of guy. What if he is really just a money-grubbing creep who doesn’t care for our children? The indicators point that way.
Advocacy group calls for resignation of former deputy minister Brooke MacMillan
Charlottetown, PEI (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2008 at Noon) Mr. Brooke MacMillan, Chief Executive Officer of the PEI Liquor Commission, should resign immediately from his position. MacMillan admitted lobbying for and receiving funds from the PEI Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which constitutes a breach of his fiduciary responsibilities, breach of trust, abuse of his office and acts of moral turpitude. His actions may even be criminal.
The PNP, valued at more than $500 million, has been widely reported as the Immigrant Scam. With it the Liberal government of Premier Robert Ghiz funneled money from immigrants seeking citizenship to party lawyers, accountants, friends and MLAs.
On Friday Mr. MacMillan admitted accepting the money as reported in the Charlottetown Guardian
(quoting) “
Friday, MacMillan released a brief statement to the media, saying he did in fact receive investment units through the PNP under the previous Conservative government and under the current Liberal administration. But not while he was “deputy responsible for the program,’’ MacMillan’s statement says.” ( The Guardian)
“To use his office for personal gain is against all rules of government and offends the public sensibility for acceptable behavior for highly appointed and paid government officials,” said Stephen Pate of PEI Disability Alert, a social advocacy organization.
Richard “Big Lies” Brown, we hardly know ye
Richard Brown, Minister of Innovation and Big Lies
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” NAZI Joseph Goebbels
A much nicer man said “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:32 New American Bible)
It’s hard to defend your friends when they participate in criminal activities. You want to but – hey did they cut you in on the deal?
Full disclosure – We’ve known Brownie for decades. We’ve partied, worked, travelled and spent hours talking about ah politics of course, Brownie’s favourite topic and ours too. Brownie is a hard working, very intelligent man sadly underestimated by Baby-Ghiz and his henchmen. The Brighton silver-spoon-in-mouth crowd always assume if you’re not in the Yacht club you can’t think. But that’s another story another day.
It hurts to see him caught up in the web of lies and criminal behavior but if we don’t report it, someone else should. Sorry man, you are on your own.
Last story on Richard Brown Big Lies was about the benefit to businesses with no employees and numbers for a name. Big Lie # 1.
Deputy receives funds from PNP, Guardian reader comments
Deputy receives funds from PNP
Bill Bradley from Johnston’s River, PE writes:
This government is looking more shady every day, what do they have to hide that they will not come right out and answer questions and now they want to change the very laws that they were sworn in to protect.
Any member of the legislature should be allowed to say any thing that they want in order to get to the bottom of things and now they are complaining the the opposition wants answers, I really hope that they get out of office before any of them get arrested and ruin their lives.
I hope they realize that they are not untouchable. Posted 22/11/2008 at 2:29 AM
Zack Hogan from Summerside, PEI writes:
Sounds like there is a real chosen few around Charlottetown that have special access to big patronage jobs and government money. Too bad the Guardian has so many of their former staff doing PR/Spin for this government. It makes a person think that we have our very our Pravda for the Liberal Party. Patronage, Corruption and Collusion seems to be the ethical standard of the day. TERESA WRIGHT, seems to be the only actual journalist. in any media. on this entire Island. Keep up the good work Theresa, a lot of Islanders really appreciate your hard work. Posted 22/11/2008 at 7:45 AM
oh my word – the liberals are for sure 1 term from pe writes:
I thought Robert Ghiz would do things differently – how wrong I was. What a disgrace our government is. Posted 22/11/2008 at 7:52 AM
I was shot down by the Charlottetown Guardian
This is a true story. No names have been changed.
I was barred from the Guardian yesterday. Was it a technical glitch or purposeful move by the Guardian to stiffle free speech?
It started about 9 AM when I commented on Rock concert costs taxpayers $400,000. I was about the 25th of eventually 51 comments.
I briefly pointed out that we had scooped the Guardian on this story 3 weeks before Myrtle Jenkins Smith on her way to first $1 million, October 25th, 2008.
A tipster pointed us to the link on the government website that disclosed Smith was one of two partners in the firm that promoted the Alanis Morissette concert. She was also the one to benefit personally from the $300,000 loan write off by Minister Docherty.
We state without equivocation we love all our tipsters, like all good reporters do. You could be a secret tipster too if you have some good dirt.
Deputy receives funds from PNP
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Brooke MacMillan, liberal appointee hand in the cookie jar more than once
The former deputy minister responsible for the Provincial Nomination Program admitted that he received immigrant money through this program after questions were raised Friday by the Opposition leader about his involvement.
Brooke MacMillan was appointed deputy minister for the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning under minister Richard Brown when the Liberals took power in June 2007. He was shifted out of the department and appointed head of the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission last August.
This Hour has 5 & 1/2 Minutes Nov 18, 2008
This weeks episode is hot on the trail of the Liberals.
Some of the stories
Dave Carver’s romance with Minister Docherty
Bruce Howatt PEI’s top poker ace
Secret $200 million slush fund,
PEI’s new Price is Right,
It ain’t heavy: it’s a government cheque
Have you seen it?
Justin Trudeau just another empty head with a pretty face?
Justin Trudeau, the great white hope or just another pretty face?
It’s disheartening but 53% of people in a Guardian poll think Justin Trudeau would make a great leader.
Please. I want him to. (10%)
No. Too much baggage (25%)
Yes, he certainly will, and he will be credible in his own right (53%)
Gorgeous, but not national leadership material (11%)
It’s really scary that 53% of the population want a leader because his father was a powerful and sometimes visionary political leader. Pierre Trudeau’s talent was only partly genetic. He could transfer the rest of what made him Trudeau because sons never become their fathers. Those that try are very disappointed and unhappy men. Fathers who want to make their sons in their image create lots of work for psychiatrists.
Oh my God! It’s exactly what we did on PEI. We thought Robert Ghiz, the handsome son of Premier Joe Ghiz, would be a great premier. What a mistake that has proved to be.
It’s like the guy or gal who keeps going for the best looking dates only to find them self-centered, cruel and empty headed. As soon as one beautiful person takes their money and dumps them, they head out to the bars looking for Mr. or Ms. Beautiful/Wonderful again.
Sigh.
Richard Brown Big Lies
Richard Brown, Baby Ghiz looking on waiting for the right time to cut Erlichman and Haldeman loose
Poor Richard, defending the indefensible with one Big Lie after another.
“PNP’s helped small business on PEI.” – one of his favourites.
Our research says about 15% of the money went into legitimate business. The remainder went into numbered accounts set up just for the Immigrant Scam. Read the rest of this entry »
PNP ‘bonus’ raises more questions
Editor – hush money it is indeed! At the Public Accounts Committee, Jim Bagnall Conservative accused Richard Brown’s Dubai team of double charging – yes $5,000 dollars – for the interview. Richard huffed and puffed and then let out his Freudian slip “criminals” – me thinks thou doest protest to much my Richard. – Stephen Pate
By Paul MacNeill
November 19, 2008
Eastern Graphic
Paul MacNeill, Island PressInnovation Minister Richard Brown calls payments of up to $20,000 to employees of Island Investment Development Inc. bonuses for overtime required processing more than 1,800 immigrant applications.
That is a gentle description.
A not so gentle description could be the Ghiz government created a head tax with the proceeds going to employees of the crown agency.
And a description for the truly skeptical might label the bonuses hush money aimed at keeping the civil service from spilling all the gory details of the Provincial Nominee Program.
Nov 11 – This Hour Has 5 & 1/2 Minutes
Stories -
Remembrance Day – why they died, climate of reprisal
Headlines – Ghiz back from China, hog plant, UPEI spies
Doug Currie look a like, healthcare
In Flanders Fields
Wind power ruffles question period
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | 5:24 PM AT
CBC
The government’s new wind energy plan dominated much of the first question period of the fall session of the P.E.I. legislature Wednesday.
Opposition leader Olive Crane opened questioning in the fall session of the legislature, focusing on the government’s plan to triple wind power production on the Island over the next five years. The plan would require a billion-dollar investment, mostly by the private sector.
Immigrant money pays for bonuses
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
Government employees who processed Provincial Nominee Program applications earlier this year were paid extras and bonuses for their work, but this money did not come from public funds, it was immigrants’ money, says Innovation Minister Richard Brown.
The bonuses were given due to the high volume of applications processed between April and September when the program ended. Approximately 1,800 applications were put through during this time.
Audit says pork plant may have accessed more PNP money than allowed
Editor – while the Liberal government insists it was hands off when grant PNP units to MLA’s, the facts contradict that thin alibi.
The Guardian reports “One such government agency, Island Investment Development Inc., granted the plant’s owners more than $350,000 through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).”
This program always was tightly controlled by the government, both Liberal and Conservative.
TERESA WRIGHT
The Guardian
P.E.I.’s failed pork-processing plant accessed money from the Provincial Nominee Program and may have accessed more than the rules allowed, according to findings in the P.E.I. auditor general’s investigation of the plant’s finances.
The audit, released late last week, details the millions in loans advanced by the province to the Natural Organic Food Group (NOFG) plant between 2006 and late 2007 as the owners tried to get into new markets for organic pork.
One such government agency, Island Investment Development Inc., granted the plant’s owners more than $350,000 through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Ghiz, wolf in sheep’s clothing
Premier Robert Ghiz, wolf in sheep
Kate MacDonald wrote an informed and readable opinion on the wind energy issue Where the Island Wind is Blowing. Her focus was on carbon credits.
We ask: why are we shipping 300 MW or 85% of the energy off-Island. We need that energy on PEI by anyone’s estimation.
For decades we wanted to own our energy and dreamed of being energy self-sufficient. Ontario keeps energy for its people first and sells the excess. So does Quebec. Ghiz is not a loyal Islander: his loyalties lie elsewhere.
Our new Liberal premier is giving away the farm and for what? Will we get paid? Not likely. Ghiz’s plan is about as dumb as allowing new construction in Charlottetown without parking. The consequences of parking congestion are annoying. Ghiz’s plan will impoverish us forever.
Where the Island’s wind is blowing
GUEST OPINION
KATE MCDONALD
Prince Edward Island is recognized for its significant wind energy potential and for being a leader in renewable energy upon establishing and meeting a renewable portfolio standard for electricity of 15 per cent.
The provincial government has now mapped out the direction for wind energy’s future in their recently released 10-Point Plan. Government’s goal is to see the generation of 500 megawatts (MW) of wind energy on P.E.I. by 2013. From where development stands today this will require 350MW of new wind development, designated in the strategy as 300MW for export and 50MW for on-Island use.
Read the rest of this entry »
Getting to the bottom of the PNP program
Why are government members objecting to calling top bureaucrats to testify before the public accounts committee?
It’s disappointing that Liberal MLAs object to calling former and current deputy ministers and top bureaucrats before a legislative committee to shed light on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Surely these individuals, who oversaw and administered the program, would be in the best position to address concerns about it. Islanders deserve to hear what they have to say.
Oh please Cynthia, don’t break our hearts again
Bicycle paths, the Cynthia Dunsford cause of the month
One of PEI’s most well-known social and Big-L Liberals Cynthia Dunsford is about to break our hearts again.
She’s supporting bicycle paths on PEI in her new blog post Coming Soon to PEI?? (See end note)
Cynthia Dunsford, our gal Friday on social issues lost in space?
Cynthia was a great pre-2007 election supporter of “cosmetic pesticides” an oxymoron like military intelligence and reform of the Disability Support Program. She held forth at every opportunity on what she would do if elected, at the Farmer’s Market, in the street, in the stores. Cyn was our gal Friday – one of us amongst the suits.
Labour federation continues opposition to P3 legislation plans
Editor: The Ghiz Liberal government is a neo-conservative administration in sheep’s clothing. P3 for public/private partnerships were popular in Ontario with Mike Harris Common Sense revolution. Like the energy deals that give away our future, P3’s are patronage at the biggest level, a way to carve off public assets for private profit.
STEPHEN BRUN
The Guardian
The P.E.I. Federation of Labour will continue to protest P3 legislation, despite not getting any new answers from the province on the matter.
The federation’s 44th annual conference wrapped up Saturday in Charlottetown. The delegates passed several resolutions including ones in protest of government’s proposed public/private partnerships (P3) for long-term care facilities.
And now the rest of the story: Changes improve wheelchair accessibility at Main Building on UPEI campus
November 7, 2008
The Guardian printed the story that follows, which is essentially public relations puffery on the part of the UPEI. We submitted a comment about 6 AM and re-submitted.
The Guardian chose not to print our comment.
All our comments are signed. This is the first time the Guardian refused to print our comments. We are amazed at their censorship. We assume we are too close to revealing the truth for the Guardian’s tastes.
And here is the rest of the story.
It’s a great photo op at UPEI, who recently took away disabled parking. That Myrtle Jenkins Smith is good on the public relations and mopping up patronage money. Yup, no money for the DSP, a dog slow report – like molasses uphill in winter – and lots of money for MJS.
Look – there’s Currie as a pretty face. He didn’t do a thing at UPEI. He just looks good standing tall with three paraplegics. I figured out this morning who Currie reminds me of – check This Week Has Five & a Half Minutes next week for the answer.
Oh and Brian Doucette who refused to say word one about the DSP $1 million cutback 2 years. He must have found his water wings.
And Paul Cudmore who the PEI Canadian Paraplegic told me in writing they haven’t seen in 10 years. Look out boys – he’s next to you. Paul is the champion of you can drive in chair, why park close at UPEI.
Quite a crew. UPEI took 1 year to build a sports field – 7 years to build a wheelchair ramp. That’s progress.
Other reader comments follow the story.
KATHERINE HUNT
The Guardian
The 154-year-old Main Building on the UPEI campus is now more wheelchair-accessible as part of a seven-year implementation plan to make the campus more accessible to those with disabilities.
This Hour Has Five & 1/2 Minutes – November 4, 2008
The new episode is up.
Highlights
Obama and Civil Rights
Headlines – Ghiz in China, Currie burns his way through Prince and Kings Counties
Take this job and shove it – please Minister Gail Shea
Pete from Peakes on millionaires
and more
Fun, sharp and the show to watch.
Send us your comments.
We stand to lose too much
Last updated at 12:21 AM on 03/11/08
The Journal Pioneer
Editor
We are about to give away the only untapped natural resource on P.E.I., wind energy. The deal is being cut by an inexperienced premier with billionaire businessmen who are capable of getting the upper hand. In my opinion, we will lose our future independence for some short term cash for the deficit.
Other Islanders have recognized this including letters to the papers in West Prince by George Cousins of Campbellton. Much of the discussion has been about the environment. We need to pay attention to the money as well.
