Cons retreat on public internet access.

A week after telling libraries and community groups across the country that the long-standing funding for public Internet access was disappearing, the federal Conservative government now says it was all a misunderstanding.

Industry Minister Tony Clement told reporters Tuesday that $13 million in funding for the gutted Community Access Program will survive under a different name, at least for this year.

The 16-year-old program sends about $4,000 each to libraries, centres that serve youth, seniors and the unemployed, and many other sites so they can provide free computer and Internet access to Canadians who need it.

-snip-

"We’re hearing a totally different story," said Niki Ashton, the NDP’s rural and community development critic.

"I know from my region and organizations across the country that they were notified that they would be getting a cut in programming.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1172597.html

Sometimes I wonder if they don't make these mistakes just so that they can backtrack to look responsive to their base.

Most days they don't seem to know themselves.

Stephen Harper’s Conservative MPs were told in caucus today that “an honest mistake” led to libraries and community groups being told their public funding for Internet access was ending.

Senior Industry Canada bureaucrats had “misunderstood” the plan, which simply involved moving money to a different pot, according to Tory insiders.

That misunderstanding, however, resulted in much controversy and a huge outcry as letters went out from Industry informing Community Access Program sites that their funding was being cut as of April 1.

The 16-year-old program helps link rural communities and allows Canadians who can’t afford computers access to the Internet. The confusion resulted in some red faces as Industry Minister Tony Clement had to call a press conference to explain the situation.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/honest-mistake-sparked-library-internet-uproar/article1503632/

Tsk tsk...those bureaucrats...always 'misunderstanding' things.

"Don't look at us, it's not our fault,
It's that guy there, his name is Walt"