Liberal MLA Chris Palmer's Guardian article (April 18) stated: “After reading Kevin Arsenault's opinion piece regarding our provincial lending programs, I'm compelled to respond. In his piece, Mr. Arsenault asserts that our lending programs are 'for Liberals only'.” I asserted no such thing!
Related: Loan programs benefit all Islanders
My article was only about the really big government loans requiring Cabinet's approval, noting in particular that: “Premier MacLauchlan and his cabinet approved just five loans to Island businesses so far in 2018, totalling $13, 997,935 and that all that money went to just two well-known Liberal families.” That's a fact.
Because there were no public announcements accompanying those loans, I provided some details; then expressed the following opinion: “I believe the provincial government should be doing far more to encourage and support other Islanders to start businesses by offering more and smaller loans,” pointing out that if the same amount had been disbursed in $100,000 increments: “The $14 million which the Liberal government just doled out to two families could have potentially launched 140 new businesses.”
Palmer “quotes” me saying something I didn't even write, then accuses me of using “loans to Island businesses” as a "political bludgeon by claiming some sort of partisan bias.” Some “sort” of partisan bias? There's only one kind of partisan bias, and anyone who compiles a list of recipients of Cabinet-authorized mega-loans under Ghiz and MacLauchlan will see exactly what "sort" of partisan bias that is: Liberal. Warning: have defibrillator handy, these facts could be heart-stopping!
Kevin J. Arsenault,
Fort Augustus
