The Highway Man. The dreaded mounted and masked Highway Man of yore has returned. This time he is not content to draw his pistols on a coachload of travellers, and demand that they hand over their purses, rings, jewels, and whatever other valuables they might have with them. This time he wants more, and he has assumed a new guise. He is no longer the semi-romantic figure in a tale from the eighteenth century. Now he has adopted a new identity, a corporate identity, and his demands are greater, far far greater. If they are not met, look out! Look out cities, look out governments, look out taxpayers!

Reports of his new corporate incarnation appeared on the same day in newspapers in both Canada and Ireland.

Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, bluntly told the Canadian government that unless it provided more financial support it will assemble a new type of aircraft in its plant in Belfast.

"I'm not threatening. I'm telling the truth", said Bombardier's chief executive, Paul Tellier, in Montreal, on Tuesday, February 17.

In quick response, UUP East Belfast Assembly member Sir Reg Empey urged the UK government to give full support to Bombardier.

A former Industry Minister in the Six Counties, he added: "We cannot assume that Shorts' parent company is intending to carry out the work here but certainly signals are being made".

Mr. Tellier said government support was provided to the aerospace industry in France, Great Britain, Brazil, and the United States. "If Canada thinks that Bombardier and its suppliers can do this (new aircraft) all by themselves, they're (sic) dreaming."

He placed the cost of developing the new aircraft at $2 billion Cdn.

"We can't expect our shareholders to assume these risks by themselves", he added.

"Stand and deliver" has taken on a new meaning in our great new world of multi-national corporations.

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