Informing The People

The Word of Our Dan:

As these contracts are let, then we notify the people in the communities that they’re let, so there is a double process there. But it’s not about getting a second bang for the buck on these things, as a matter of fact, it’s about informing people early, and then once the contracts are awarded, it’s letting them know after. But to come in and, y’know, double- and triple-announce money that, that’s given the appearance of being new money, that’s just, that’s misleading.

Last June, Williams Government announced that it was “investing” $15-million in the “hard surfacing” of the Trans-Labrador Highway:

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, confirmed today that the province will invest $15 million this year to proceed with the first phase of hard-surfacing of the Trans Labrador Highway.

Of course, never mind that the “first phase of hard-surfacing” didn’t actually include much in the way of, well, hard surfacing:

This initial phase of the project will focus on widening the road base on sections of the Trans Labrador Highway by approximately three metres. The Premier announced that three separate tenders have been issued – one for widening approximately 50 kilometres in Labrador West, another for widening approximately 50 kilometres in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and the third for widening and hard-surfacing approximately eight kilometres in Churchill Falls.

Williams Government says it’s hard-surfacing, that makes it so.

There you have it: $15-million. Hard surfacing. First Phase.

First announcement.

Fast-forward to January 10th and another announcement:

Included in the $182 million overall total in provincial road funding this year are $17 million for construction of Phase III of the Trans Labrador Highway, $5 million in carry-over from widening and hard-surfacing of Phase I of the Trans Labrador Highway last summer and $3 million in carry over from the 2007-08 Provincial Roads Improvement Program.

…

The Provincial and Federal Government will also cost-share, on a 50-50 basis… $40 million for hard-surfacing of Phase I of the Trans Labrador Highway

Carry-over. Carry-over being announced. Second announcement for $5-million worth of the $15-million first announced in 2007. But that’s not about getting a second bang for a buck; that’s about Informing The People Early.

Now, that brings us to March 13th, and yet another announcement:

The Provincial and Federal Governments are cost-sharing $45 million for hard-surfacing of Phase I of the TLH, while the Provincial Government is also investing $17 million for construction of Phase III.

How do you get that $45-million figure?

Well, by adding the $5-million carry-over from last year to the $40-million in cost-shared funding announced in the January press release.

That’s how.

That’s the only way how.

That announcement would be, one presumes, the Letting The People Know After, at least insofar as the $5-million carryover is concerned.

Whatever it is, it’s certainly not coming in and, y’know, double- and triple-announcing money that, that’s given the appearance of being new money.

Because that’s just, that’s misleading.