The Globe and Mail features two major articles today that involve Industry Minister Maxime Bernier which demonstrate that current choices are all about politics, not principles. The first indicates that Bernier plans to scuttle the CRTC's revised VoIP decision, the "first time in years a Minister intervened to overrule a CRTC decision." In this article, Bernier is lauded as "a staunch advocate for free markets", which might lead some to believe that principles are forcing the Minister to make this move. Yet the second article indicates that Bernier and the Conservative government plan to honour a $260 million commitment to help Bombardier develop a new jet. This article again notes Bernier's preference for free markets, but acknowledges the real driver behind the decision – "the government, with an eye on the next election, is also being careful not to alienate vote-rich Quebec, where a large chunk of Canada's aerospace industry is located."
The Free Market Champion
November 15, 2006
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