Bernie Miller and Bell Aliant

Bell Aliant: Opposition parties are taking the premier to task for not organizing a meeting to discuss potential job losses at Bell Aliant, while the union representing those workers says government action may be premature, according to The Chronicle Herald. On Monday, deputy planning and priorities minister Bernie Miller wrote to Baillie and MacDonald to say the coalition is already engaged in work focused on startups, immigration and exports. Discussing the Bell Aliant matter appears to be outside the intended scope of the coalitions mandate and may not be consistent with the coalitions desire to stay focused on its identified priorities, Miller said and Bell Canada Enterprises BCE announced in July its intention to privatize Bell Aliant Inc., a move expected to save the telecom giant $100 million a year in capital and operating costs. Earlier this month, Tory Leader Jamie Baillie and acting New Democrat leader Maureen MacDonald wrote to Stephen McNeil asking that he bring the issue before the oneNS Coalition, the group of political and business leaders established in the wake of the Ivany report. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.