Liberals:
Last Tuesday, at an event in Thunder Bay that connected online with Sioux Lookout in Northern Ontario, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff committed a future Liberal government to achieving 100% high-speed internet coverage, to reach 800,000 Canadians in rural and remote communities who currently have no high-speed internet access.
Conservatives:
At locations as far removed from rural Canada as possible (coffee shops in downtown Toronto and Montreal), the Conservatives announced funding to provide broadband internet coverage to only 169,000 Canadians – only 21% of those who need it.
Liberals:
In 2005, the previous Liberal government announced $100 million for rural broadband. The Conservatives cancelled it in Budget 2006.
Conservatives:
After waiting until Budget 2009 to commit rural broadband funding, it took a full 15 months before any funding was committed – and then only because of a Liberal announcement earlier in the week. In their last report card to Canadians, the Conservatives said $100 million would go out in 2009-10. Not one cent went out.
Liberal