I'm anxious to stop bleeding electronic ink on the subject, but it looks as though the convention centre saga is far from over and will be keeping the opinion mills running for some time. The province supports it, but that's far from a clincher. The city could have trouble swallowing its third of the $160-million bill and the federal third seems to me particularly iffy.

We've been talking as though the federal share is a foregone conclusion, but in fact Ottawa has still to be asked to cough up a $47-million lump sum when the project is finished, and it's not the kind of outfit that coughs up just like that.

Be a man, stop shilly-shallying and give this revitalizing project the go-ahead, says one side.

Be a man, stop shilly-shallying and stop this foolishness dead in its tracks, says the other.

This is what Premier Darrell Dexter is getting in both ears as decision time draws nigh on the proposed convention centre/hotel complex for downtown Halifax.

Since it's going to get scorched no matter what, minimizing the outrage is the best the NDP government can hope for politically.

It is, therefore, proper that the premier and his divided cabinet ignore the hollering and take the time to make a decision they can reasonably defend -- whatever it is.

The proposal for a new convention centre complex in downtown Halifax has been delivered, and government is chewing over the implications. Infrastructure Minister Bill Estabrooks has said that by the fall a decision will be made whether something will be built -- if so, what, and if not, what the next step will be.

In deciding, the government will also take into account the interests of "all Nova Scotians," Estabrooks said, considering that a public investment possibly north of $140 million will be required.