when its time to nail someone to the wall, bourque's on point.

pack it up, packin it in, let bourque begin:

http://www.bourque.org/notes.html

SHOCKER: STELCO OWES CSL MILLIONS ?
It is the shudder that has all PMO staff bracing for the worse. How much does bankrupt Stelco owe CSL. The one question even the Opposition was unable to ask this week as it hammered at Paul Martin's byzantine shipping interests. But, according to Bourque sources on Bay Street who spoke on condition of anonymity, that amount could be substantial. "Millions", as one steely investor put it. Regardless, the new PM is between a rock and a hard place over his CSL shipping activities via tax haven loopholes. And now this, a desperate all-or-nothing pitch by Stelco, once the pride of Canada, for government assistance to save its 8,300 employees and 11,000 retirees, many of whom work in Hamilton and would likely vote against the Liberal party, a death-knell blow to ghoulishly-coiffed Martin pal Tony Valeri, the new Transport Minister hoping to turf Sheila Copps, the former Deputy-Prime Minister. With rival Algoma having received a $50 million government bailout, can Martin do anything less for Stelco ? The stakes are high, particularly if CSL finds itself on the hook for substantial unpaid Stelco invoices. According to a CP report, "Stelco has said it faces a $1.25-billion shortfall in its pension liabilities and some $918 million in post-retirement pension benefits. It lost $168 million in the first nine months of 2003 and had $545 million in long-term debt as of Nov. 30, 2003."
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so what's the alternative to helping them? making a stipulation that none of the money he doles out to the company is used to pay off csl?

yikes.