HOW ABOUT FREE GAS?

So Irving Shipbuilding has decided, after bidding on and being awarded the contract to build Canada's new warships, it needs at least $300 million of taxpayers' money to upgrade its facilities, rather than using its own money.

It would be reasonable to assume the Irvings, one of the country's wealthiest families, would be only too happy to reward the generosity of taxpayers with free gas at all its Irving gas stations for the next year, right?

Mark Cosgrove, Orleans, Ont.