Monies provided by fast ferry maker Gladding-Hearn to boost the Transport Ministry's marketing and public relations budget were negotiated after a price for the boats had been settled, Minister Ewart Brown said yesterday.

Dr. Brown had been asked to clarify the circumstances surrounding what some say amounted to a discount on the $5 million price tag for the two ferries.

The Minister took the opportunity to criticise this paper for referring to the money as a fast ferry party fund, as well as referring to the Ministry's "appreciation day" for airport staff and their families as a $35,000 party.

"I think this is an attempt to associate the Ministry and this Government with parties," he said.

"That $50,000 per boat was for public relations and marketing and it includes those beautiful commercials that are played every evening on local television. All of that is paid for with that same money so to imply that $50,000 per boat is going to be used for parties is another example of slanted journalism."

He said that after the prices had been set, the company was asked if it would put aside money for marketing and promotion.

"They said yes. That's what the money is for - the cake and ice cream and champagne is for a small part of it and I wish people would get that straight."

Dr. Brown could not say immediately how much money was already in the budget for marketing, but did say that the Ministry had always felt that the amounts allocated "would not be enough to make the kind of impact that we wanted to make to change the transport culture of the Island".

"It was going to require more money. We didn't have it and so we asked the shipyard to chip in and they did. It's not unusual."

He agreed that the transaction could be seen as a discount on the boats "but it didn't work that way. We sent them a cheque for $2.5 million per boat and they sent us back a cheque for $50,000 per boat."

Government had set aside $10 million for new ferries and, with only half the money spent, Gladding-Hearn could well have found common cause with Government that the project be successful, according to Dr. Brown.

"I think it's a great example of what the public and private sector can do to produce a winner," the Minister said.

Dr. Brown said that the Ministry was looking at buying possibly three or four additional ferries, of different configurations than the ones already purchased, with the remaining $5 million.