The cost of distrust

As Impolitical points out, the news about the Cons' "defence strategy" looks to have taken Harper another step further toward his ideal form of public communication - which from all available indications consists of having unnamed officials taking a select group of friendly journalists to an undisclosed location to say (off the record) that they're unable to comment. But the Leader-Post reminds us that even on the rare occasions when the Cons offer any public information, it's never safe to rely on their word - as the City of Regina is finding out the hard way:

A Regina MP said he is "very confident" federal funding for the IPSCO Place revitalization will soon start flowing, despite concerns that the multi-million-dollar project may be on hold until the fall...

Earlier this week, Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco stated that despite the federal government's announcement of $20 million for the project back in September, the funding has yet to come through, resulting in at least a one-month delay to the project that was to begin May 1. The delay will add at least $1 million to the project's price tag -- an extra cost that must be covered by the city.

Fiacco stated that since the funding still required Treasury Board approval and for a contribution agreement to be reached, he was informed by Transport, Communities, and Infrastructure Minister Lawrence Cannon's office that the funding may not come through until fall.

On Wednesday, Fiacco said he was pleased to hear ground could be broken on the project well before fall. While disappointed that he had yet to speak to Cannon about the situation, Fiacco said he had spoken to Lukiwski several times in the past couple days.

"We're at the stage now that I'll wait to make sure we have the cheque in hand so we can indeed get a shovel in the ground," said Fiacco.

Now, it's noteworthy enough that the Cons' excuse is a need to carry out "due diligence" a full eight months after they first announced that the funding would be provided. In particular, it would seem obvious that any remotely responsible government should have done the bulk of its homework before making public declarations of support - rather than going PR-hunting first, then considering the project's merits later.

But Fiacco's response is even more striking. Having already been burned to the tune of a million dollars, Regina (presumably not alone among other Canadian actors) has understandably reached the point where it doesn't see the Cons' word as being worth a thing. And if the project is actually being held up entirely pending a federal decision rather than going ahead based on funding from the other levels of government, it would seem that the city is far from convinced that the Cons will keep their word in going through the approval process at all.

Of course, if other actors are so rightly suspicious of the Cons' unreliability that they need to see cash up front to bother talking to the federal government, that'll only make it tougher for needed joint efforts to take place. Which offers plenty of reason for municipalities and other levels of government to want to put a more trustworthy government in power.