Business connections between a property developer and the wife of a premier's office staffer have Opposition MLA Mike Currie raising accusations of patronage at government's highest level.
For the past two weeks, Currie has grilled government about decisions to build two new traffic lights near land being developed by Clifford McQuaid.
The projects include a four-way light at Cornwall Industrial Park, across the road from McQuaid's Madison Heights development, and a set of lights going up in Winsloe, where McQuaid is building a service station for Irving Oil.
Thursday afternoon, Currie connected some of the dots when he revealed that McQuaid's partner in the gas station project is Melanie MacDonald, the wife of Ian (Tex) MacDonald, Premier Robert Ghiz's executive assistant.
"All of a sudden we've got $1 million in traffic lights that were unplanned approved within 30 to 40 days for the benefit I think of a developer with close ties to the premier's office,'' Currie told reporters.
"They talked about fairness and about getting rid of patronage. It seems like it's just taking place at the highest level.''
Ghiz told the media that Currie's accusations have no basis in fact. He said the Tory has the price of the project and its timelines wrong and he said Currie is missing the mark if he thinks MacDonald has been promoting his wife's interests in the premier's office.
"He has no interest in his wife's business. He doesn't tell her how to do her jobs any more than you go to yourwife's work and interfere with her job or I go to my wife's work and interfere with her job," the premier said.
Ghiz said Currie, a long-serving cabinet minister and former minister of Transportation and Public Works, should know this has been an item of interest for a long time, well before McQuaid's development began to take shape.
"I think the first letters about this came from Cornwall council in 2001," he said.
Currie said there's a better way to ensure safe traffic in and out of Cornwall Industrial Park.
He said he had been speaking with former Transport Minister Gail Shea about the lights and she said her department had considered it a cheaper option to extend Lowther Drive so that it connects to the industrial park.
Lowther, which runs past the APM centre, Cornwall Town Hall and several townhouses, connects to the Trans-Canada Highway via a lighted intersection at John Street and Kellow.
In the house, he challenged government to show that the projects are warranted.
"Do I understand that you are going ahead with a set of lights that's untendered, that no research has been done on, that there's no plans to show anybody?" he asked.
Premier's aide added to controversy over Cornwall intersection
Premier's aide added to controversy over Cornwall intersection
- Published on October 26th, 2007
- Published on June 14th, 2010
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Ron Ryder
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Comments
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- Charlie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:43:28
These much needed and overdue lights make sense. Anybody has tried to enter the highway from that location knows this is true. What was Mackinley supposed to do? Sell his property, which was already rezoned for development a long time ago when the Conservatives were in power! Whoever owned this property adjacent to the new intersection was bound to be in a position to profit. I suppose some people think it would be better not to but in the intersection just because the land close to it is owned by the Minister of Transportation and Public Works. And after a couple of car accidents and a few deaths the same people would be screaming for an intersection to be put in.
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- Patrick
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:42:06
You're full of it Tom. It's got nothing to do with safety, that's a pathetic excuse. The Liberals couldn't wait to shove their noses in the trough, just like th Tories before them. The worst thing is Islanders will let them away with it. We'll do nothing.
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- Frank
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:39:08
I wonder if MacKinley is reporting the income that he makes from those roadside sales.
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- Larry was right
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:37:12
More than Ghiz has been on this, the winsloe lights payoff, editing minister's biographies on government websites, trying to sweep the Beck affair under the rug.the flip flops on student assessments, the youth addictions, the padded deficit, and so on and so on
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- Watcher
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:37:03
The ACOA Political Hacks are out in full force, it must be a full moon. First of all traffic lights cost $100,000 not $1,000,000. Summerside and Charlottetown put Traffic lights in on a regular basis with very little road upgrades. The rest of the money is for road upgrades.
Second, only the Political Hacks will remember Pat Binns and his supposed $ 6million deficit that turned into over $ 100 Million deficit and many people on this site belonged to the Party that brought in that wonderful budget.
Third, GET A LIFE , your Party was turfed for good reason so enjoy your Retirement at ACOA. -
- Deja Vu in Stratford
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:35:48
Why the heck is anyone surprised, these are politicians we're talking about, and this is PEI. We have been putting up with this crap since we bacame a province,and it looks like we are going to put up with the present bunch as they push and grunt to get close to the trough.
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- DISGRACEFUL
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:35:37
This SMELLS big time...Ghiz looked so mad and guilty in the legislature yesterday...
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- Deja Vu in Stratford
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:34:02
Hey # 36 I don't think anyone is coming on this forum,and being an apologist for the Tories (if they do they are idiots) it's just the outright disgust many of us feel when something like this happens. I have met Ronnie MacKinley, and I think he is a heck of a nice guy, but if he had any political smarts he would have distanced himself from this dung hill. Where is Larry McGuire when you need him, at least he was honest in what he intended to do.
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- If the Premier's EA - Tex
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:33:54
The standard for measuring conflict is if the party stands to gain financially. Clearly, the Premiers' EA, Tex macDonald would benfit financially from his wife entering her FIRST 'partnership' with Clifford mcuaid. It's convenient how this business 'partnership' emerge only after Melanie (Martin) MacDonald became the Premier's constituency representative.
First illegal patio decks, now dirty traffic light deals, it doesn't look good and everyone knows it. Sad for a new regime to begin its mandate with little to show but more misuse of taxpayers hard earned money... -
- Tom
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:33:49
Oh Please, People. Get over it!
Mike Currie was the King of Conflict of Interest and bad deals for PEI.
I am a life-long Conservative...but even I can admit when my own party has done far more wrong than the current government.
Get over it and let the people try to improve our Island and make the roadways safer. If it were the Tories doing it, you'd be all in favor of it and defending it.
Talk about two-faced people you all are when it comes to politics. -
- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:33:38
#34..I imagine he will sleep just fine knowing that his land is worth many more millions now that there will be stop lights to access the new subdivision on his farm land.
Easy to sleep soundly when you have extra millions in your personal bank account that was put there with help of the Dept of Highways. -
- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:52
#47...Than you need to go have a look in Stratford. Have a look at all that land that is locked because there is no access onto the TCH. Right now that land is no good but if there was an access and lights installed it would quickly become very valuable.
The same is true for any subdivision land that is easily accessed from main highway is more valuable than land that isn't.
Why does Tim Horton's have most of their shops on intersections than?????
You don't have to use any calculator to know that any land in a subdivision is more valuable if there is an access of the TCH at lighted intersection. -
- only on PEI
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:21
you are at it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, making us all look like idiots here on PEI. Only those without a brain would say half the things that are being said.
What is every one looking for? The Liberals are in, we bash them, the tories get in, we bash them. It is only because on PEI everyone knows everyone.
I live in Cornwall and honestly I don't give a sweet damm if the lights go in or not. I just make sure that I have all 6 sets of eyes opened when I am driving from Cornwall to Ch town. It is a dangerous place and if the lights go there fine, but the better solution would have been a by-pass -
- 888
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:11
Premier. You need to get your men under control. Someone give Premier Ghiz the # in Ireland for Binns , Binns was way better at damage control then this Premier. 3years 7mts until next election. What a show.
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- This is ridiculous
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:06
#24 - If you're going to make stupid comments at least spell them correctly.....its Yacht not Yatcht
As my mom used to say - if you can't say something nice - don't say anything at all - you just embarass yourself -
- Watcher
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:30:35
#46 Are you saying that Mackinleys land is not accessible without the traffic lights? If you are then you are wrong.
How do you get the Millions of dollars in extra value in land just by having traffic lights? Where do you think you are, in New York? You must be using Pat Binn's Calculator. -
- Gj
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:28:21
Did anyone ever consider that the liberal party and their behind the scenes BOYs may have set poor Ron up to take the FALL. If u think of it they didn;t want him in cabinet but felt obliged because he was the liberal party for many years in oppisotion. He never did get along with the estabishment so what a perfect way to get rid of him. Watch your back Ron my friend.
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- Bernard
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:27:10
It is good to see this project finally underway. Those men look like they are laying some good pipe.
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- Traffic watcher
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:22:52
This ongoing comedy of errors and petty political patronage is very disappointing. I'm not sure if they did, or did not, need a million dollars plus put into this project. It is clear that these folks play hard ball political pork barrelling. It seems the well placed developers, and wheeler dealers, have a leg up on the rest of us.
The other point this situation underlines is, the abject lack of meaningful program direction and policy of this youthful administration. What will a new Liberal change look like. Surely this Webster, Beck, Mac Donald, McKinley stuff, is not what Robert Ghiz means by change. As for new ethical stardards, well they have clearly gone south. Hopefully this government can find some leadership within their ranks. The need to employee staff that is capable of political management, understands and practices integrity in office, all while being effective in political communication. This situation with Ron and Tex must mean they have a very short shelf life in Cabinet and the 5th floor. The longer they stay the worse it will get. -
- a dilemma
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:21:40
Mackinley is in a moral dilemma. For yrars, Cornwall has lying on its back and having righteous tantrums for lights at this intersection for years, yet if MacKinley's government (which is MacKinley) erects them, his property value increases. He makes money. We keep working for $7.50/hr at Tims. So, he's caught between probity and fat profit. And then there's Clifford.
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- donna
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:20:55
I hope Ronnie is a heavy sleeper. Just wait until those tires start squealing in the middle of the night at the intersection at Ronnie's Gate.
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- WOW
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:20:28
Cornwall folks ,you think you have a bad intersection .Try turning into Sobeys parking lot and there`s a car turning into Homehardware at same time!!I never get involved in politicas but Ill never vote for the Lberals again ..Not a great start!!
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- amazed but uninformed
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:19:04
Not a peep about safety because there wasn't any lights added to a private subdivision. The school also wasn't next to any land owned by the member.
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- donna
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:18:57
Tex ran for every office you can think of with no luck. Finally Robert moved back here and hired him into a very important position. It took a while, but Tex is finally on TOP.
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- a fat ol' millionaire
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:15:53
McKinley will die a fat ol' cigar-smoking millionaire with a stuffed moose head on his den wall, and after he's gone, some historian will exhume enough anecdotes to write a book about the wily old devil. O politicians - you give respectable criminals a bad name.
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- Colleen
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:15:07
We are forgetting where we live.Small province where most everyone is related in some way or another to the person next door. Things are getting done that need to be done, who cares who does it. Git er' done.
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- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:14:21
I honestly can't believe the Premier of this province can think that we are all so stupid when he says Tex MacDonald has no involvement in his wife's business.
It is like the Liberals in the four short months they have been in office are trying to get as much as the Tory Supporters got in the past 11 years.
It is time for the Premier to start to live by some standards and some morals. It is like everyone in the Liberal Government have suddenly gotten rid of their standards and morals. They just think they should take all they can get as quick as they can get it.
It is truly disgusting. -
- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:10:41
Ghiz has no one to blame but himself.
Liberals were all furious when he put Tex in the Premier's Office. Imagine someone who has run for the Leadership of both parties, run to be an MLA for both parties and recently run for Mayor and never won any of the races. This is the kind all start you around advising a premier on political issues.
Now you have his wife....imagine a Premier saying with a straight face that Tex wouldn't be involved in his wife's business. I wonder do they share a bank account...would he benefit....ummmmmmmm YEAH DUH PREMIER!!!!!! The Premier should maybe dye his hair blond because he is looking like the steroetypical DUMB BLOND!!! -
- Brighton Property Owner
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:08:03
According to the Premier He(Tex) has no interest in his wifes business.
I wonder if Tex's presence at the recent City Council meeting that approved Melanie's decks for her North River property was an expression of no interest . -
- JP
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:04:42
As a mother from Cornwall I worry about my safety all the time when I am driving there with the big trucks coming in and out of the park...I often have small children in my car and I can tell you, that there is a safety issue here and the lights are needed. I suppose that everyone would settle down on this whole political thing if there was a serious accident at that intersection....and someone was killed! I am sure if there is nothing done that this will eventually be the case....BUT....why wait until then, when we can fix it now! Who cares about politcal stripes when saftey is involved! Go back to the Cardigan River and get on the Tory Dory!
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- Shameful
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:03:39
Webster, Beck, Mckinley, MacDonald the list of shame goes on - this new government is totally shameless. No wonder they couldn't get a budget together for the session - too busy woth small time political patronage and corruption. Tex macDonald is a JOKE And Ghiz sure has a very strange idea of Character!!
One is embarassed to think this is government on PEI. Folks there is simply WRONG But it has set the tone for what to expect over the next 4 years. Thank good we can get rid of them at next election. -
- WOW
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:01:39
thank god i'm not a property owner anywhere near a Liberal - heavens I wouldn't be able to do anything with my property without JD accusing me of having help to make money !!
I guess no Tory ever owned land through the years that the zoning was changed on , or ever had near by development raise its value.
Phew to know the Tories are so lily white in all this will sure make ME sleep better -
- Keep the traffic flowing
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:00:30
How about widening the road, have a merge lane? Are lights really the best answer? PEI's answer to poor drivers is to put up more lights. They are not necessary in a lot of spots. You are going to create traffic jams at peak hours and people will get pissed off, that's when you get accidents.
#33 lol, you're right! I guess MacKinley will be able to sell even more potatoes because of people having to sit wait for yet another set of lights... -
- very sad
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:57:13
I think most islanders thought we were getting a new government, but the forgot they were getting a Liberal government. The lack of accountability here is unbelievable, I don't think even Alan Holman can make excuses for this one.
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- too funny
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:56:03
I find it hilarious that there are so many comments on this site about the so called scandals yet the story about potentially changing the way we elect government : Citizens Assembly for P.E.I. topic of workshop set for Saturday
only has one comment.
And I bet none of the nay-sayers on here will be in attendance at the meeting either @@@ -
- L
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:55:57
I remember when the Industrial Park first went into Cornwall. The Minister at the time, Mike Currie, was approached by a Town Councellor and was told that this roadway, into the park, was a temporary roadway. The entrance was to be off the York Point Road, but the Tories could not get property owners to sell the land or did not pursue it. After years and years, we are now getting another set of traffic lights which makes, if you travel the 'bypass' from the QEH to the Cornwall Post Office - 13 sets of traffic lights. Something had to be done - unfortunately for the residents, the temporary entrance is no longer temporary and we will have to live with another set of lights.
So, Mr. Currie, you had your chance...... -
- Quiet
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:55:15
It is interesting how a politician can manipulate an interview so as to you as justification for one thing to hide something else.
The issue involving Tex's wife is in regard to the lights going up in Winsloe, but Robert Ghiz uses the statements of the town of Cornwall to defend it - now there's twisting things to suit your purpose.
I, like many others, were very optomistic that the new Liberal government under young Mr. Ghiz, was going to be different than the traditional political parties and not get into the patronage payoffs thing. But it looks like perhaps young Mr. Ghiz's promises of being different may have been just a good election ploy. He is appearing to be as bad as the Tories were.
This is the major draw back to the 2 party system we have here on PEI (sorry NDP & Greens). We need a viable 3rd alternative, perhaps a party of independent's, maybe called the Bloc PEI. Right now we are seeing that the tories and grits are all the same and the only ones who benefit are the few political buddies, while the rest of us pay high taxes to support the patronmage payoffs. Is it any wonder why people today are getting more and more fed up with the poltical parties? -
- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:50:21
#45..it wasn't the ACOA hacks who said what the costs were it was MacKinley Himself.
Makes one wonder where MacKinley is getting his numbers. -
- Why can't the Cornwall
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:47:33
I don't see the industral Charlottetown industrial park with lights. Why can't the Cornwall Industrial park enter off of the york pt road?
MacKinley selling potatoes is the only traffic hazard along that stetch....... cars slamming on the breaks to buy potatoes with those tiny signs. -
- Gerry
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:45:51
Being from Cornwall, I can tell you the lights are needed regardless of who is in power, so get over it.
Should have been tendered though if it wasn't. -
- peisailinggirl
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:43:49
Its really ironic how everyone jumps on the bandwagon to bash the political party in power. Well people of PEI - we elect the parties and perhaps if you spent more time worrying about the big picture: like the environment, the fact our children are well below standards in education, healthcare etc., instead of an intersection that is needed for the safety of people travelling the North River Autoban to Cornwall - the Island would be better off.
The Conservatives cooked the book the last few budgets - how quickly that story is forgotten: the Liberals before that rolled back 7.5 % - no government is ever going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. If you are so disgusted with it all - perhaps you should put your money where your overflowing mouths are and run for office yourselves !! -
- KEEP PULLING THE WOOL
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:42:15
ALL ISLANDERS CAN SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING, AGAIN WASTING TAX DOLLARS TO CONVIENCE THE PEOPLE WHO APPARENTLY MATTER THE MOST. THE GOVERMENT.
IM SICK OF THIS STINKIN ROCK, AND YET PPL WONDER WHY YOUNG ISLANDERS ARE LEAVING, IF ITS NOT THE MONEY OUT WEST, THE JOBS, SECURITY. IT HAS TO BE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SICK OF THIS BS -
- Mell
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:42:13
CURRIE- MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET YOUR BLOOD CHECKED FOR TOXINS!!
The need for lights is to stop accidents and save lives- get over it!
How permitting is done with connecting roadways is pretty sloppy here, and lights are needed to correct the bad planning.
For example- the new Subway and TD Bank at the TCH across from the Charlottetown Mall is one bad example of easement planning- the in and out for both the Subway and the TD practically have people running into each other all the time with shuck tight spacing- it is ridiculous- then look off to the east in Montague, with the poor planning on the main street where they put Wendy's and Tim Hortons- a nightmare in entering and exiting. This province has numb-skull planners and permitters as far as easement roads are concerned, and lights are needed to correct their stupidity and to keep people from harm. -
- scott
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:41:17
hmmm traffic lights for 1 million , or polar collapse for 31mil... at least with the traffic lights we have something to show for our tax dollars. get over it and move on.
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- John Q.
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:40:22
Well, you get what you vote for. Sluff off the urge to vote for who you traditionally are supposed to vote for and look closely at all the options out there.
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- Amazed at all the comment
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:37:28
When but a few short years ago... the Tory government of the day planted a new elementary school in the middle of a field in West Royalty.
A field ajacent to a field owned by on sitting Tory member. some umpteen building lots later (umpteen being a big number btw) the tory member resigned as a sitting member and rode off into the sunset.
Hmmm..... not one word about saftey back then, and not one peep from all of the Grit bashers either....
Seems we have 2 sets of standards... -
- TEX will be the ruination
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:37:04
Is it possible TEX is a double agent still being fundeded by the Tories?
Makes one wonder as he's actively involved in his wife's business of property development which is starting to smell rather foul...and yes he actively LOBBIES City Council for his wife's illegal deck.
A guess it's a clear eflection the type og people our Premier has surrounded himself with.... yes a crystal clear reflection. -
- SPUD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:35:17
GET OVER IT GHIZ IS A IDIOT PERIOD END OF STORY . KICK HIM OUT AND FIND SOMEONE WHO HAS MORE BRAINS THAN A ROCK
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- JD
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:34:48
#34....I would be interested in knowing is Melanie will be sharing her income with TEX. Afterall as the Premier said Tex has NO involvement with his wife's business.
I recently read where there is an investigation going on in BC where a lobbyist was involved with one the Premier's aides and done some questionable things.
I wonder how the Premier can keep a straight face when he says TEX would have NO involvement with his wife's business. So Premier they would never even discuss at all would they????
