Bombarded by Bombardier
Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.
- Sir Walter Scott (not Shakespeare)
So when I last blogged about the Prime Minister’s Joy Ride, I failed to mention the name of the aircraft company who, if you believe Mr. Imbert, dry, dry so, out of the blue, ups and fly down to Trinidad to offer our 2×4 Prime Minister a flight on a US$50m plane that he has absolutely no intention of buying. Well, the name of the airplane company is Bombardier. So besides offering joy rides to disinterested Prime Ministers, guess what Bombardier also does? They build rail systems. Guess who’s now bidding on T&T’s $15b proposed rail system? Bombardier.
So in the sound clip I gave you to accompany the aforementioned post when Minister of Works and Transport, Mr. Imbert says,
“The manufacturer of the aircraft I believe is Bombardier? I didn’t read the entire story, but I believe the aircraft is Bombardier…”
One tend to get the feeling that Mr. Imbert is playing a very bad game of pretend. I’m thinking that it’s not every Tom, Dick and Harrilal that’s able to bid on a TT$15b rail system. There are probably very few who can. And you would think that with the enormity of the project, the Minister would already be aware of a few of the bidders. Especially as the Minister has declared that trains would be rolling by 2009 - less than three years away.
By the way do you know that Tobago Express’s entire fleet (purchased in 1998) is comprised of 5 Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 aircraft - a fact that Bombardier carries on their website? It’s also confirmed on Wikipedia’s Tobago Express Page. What an absolute coincidence. And how funny it is that the Minister would pretend like he had never heard the word Bombardier before. It’s a wonder that he didn’t stumble on the word for good measure.
So what is really the significance of this joy ride, which the powers-that-be would like to convince us is nothing? In my experience, everything that is done has some reason behind it. I don’t scratch my head unless it itches, and Prime Ministers don’t take joy rides on US$50m jets unless they’re buying.
Now, I’m going to propose this to you: A TT$15b rail system works out to about US$2.38b. Just as a frame of reference, that’s about US$2,380M (using US$1 = $TT6.3. If I were to use US$1 = $TT6.2 the cost in US dollars would be about US$2,419). When we juxtapose that with the cost of the jet, we see that the jet is just 2% of the cost of the rail system (regardless of the exchange rate). And when I say the cost of the jet, I mean the sale price. The cost of building the jet will be substantially less.
So in light of all that, what’s a US$50m jet between friends? Considering the money that is involved here, there is something the Government isn’t telling us, and obviously they think we are either too stupid to know or too stupid to find out.
11 Responses to “Bombarded by Bombardier”
By Hottie Hottie on Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
Like me mind was on the same thing today boy.
By Hottie Hottie on Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
Sorry eh, WE mind
By Mani on Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
lol, gyul dis have to be on everybody mind.
By Hottie Hottie on Sep 20, 2006 | Reply
Apparently it not on Manning mind.
By Anonymous on Sep 21, 2006 | Reply
Well well well.
Dr. Williams must be rolling in his grave right about now. And I thought Bush was bad….OK he IS bad but that’s beside the point.
I have to read this again after I had my coffee to take it in.
By Mani on Sep 21, 2006 | Reply
Shandy gyul, sit down and digest it, lol.
By Anonymous on Oct 1, 2006 | Reply
Is it just me, but folks it’s just a plane ride. Jeez an’ ages! We so backward that we think the Prime Minister go get giddy over a lil plane ride. They didn’t give him the plane right? It’s just a plane ride! It is a lil coincidental but I not getting worried just yet. At least not until I find out he did get a shot of Johny blue or worse yet Louis XIII
By bronz_eye on Oct 1, 2006 | Reply
hey girl
By Mani on Oct 2, 2006 | Reply
anonymous, my friend…trust me, politics is like an iceberg, you don’t see 90% of what’s going on below the surface. A plane ride is never just a plane rine, never mind how much they try to tell us it is.
I mean, doesn’t it look even a little suspect to you, that Bombardier will furnish a test flight for a jet they sell, to a Prime Minister who isn’t buying, but yet Prime Minister of a country that is seeking bidders for a rail system that Bombardier also sells? I don’t know about you man (or woman) but sometimes a burglary isn’t just a burglary and a plane ride isn’t just a plane ride.
By Anonymous on Oct 2, 2006 | Reply
Ok Frank Hardy. You have a point. Politics is very much like an iceberg. But I prefer to look at the glass half full. Let’s wait and see what happens. Wha allya go say if Bombadier dont win the contract? I guess it still have some sort of boboll in deh some where? Maybe is Bombadier who tell Manning to close down BWEE. Yuh c! Is an iceberg remember!
By Mani on Oct 2, 2006 | Reply
Anonymous, well I agree it’s good to look at things with a “glass-half-full” view. That might work woth a lot of things, but I’m not sure that’s work with politics. I understand you may want to put your trust in the Government, however, with politics, you can’t just sit back and let Governments do what they will and then react. You can’t resolve to have a knee-jerk reaction to circumstances. Maybe sometimes you do have to rough them up a little even if just to let them know that your eyes are on them and certain things just won’t fly.
Now I’m not voicing an opinion on whether or not Bombardier should win the contract. It’s just that I am concerned with the cavalier manner in which matters concerning Bombardier were approached. I mean, Prime Minister taking test flight, but not buying jet, but accepting rail system bids from same company? As a citizen, I like things to be honest and transparent. And the manner in which this has been approached has made me suspicious.