Published Thursday, 16 February 2012
The reasons were clear... the construction industry is on its knees and begging for help. There was also a perception the Executive was doing very little.
There was nothing particularly new in the announcement although the time-scale had been brought forward.
But it was a well presented package offering some hope in a bleak economic situation.
Peter Robinson pointed out this was the way forward provided the London Government did not reduce the cash already promised.
Martin McGuinness said this was an Executive which was fighting back.
Improving the infrastructure makes sense in planning for the future although the A5 development will not please everybody.
Still it seemed like a good day's work.
Then, below the radar, another release on the Executive performance over the past three years.
It said targets had been met in two out of three areas.
But there were significant failures in health and tourism, to a degree.
Actually it was quite positive.
But because it was released on a ''good news day'' suspicions were raised.
In fact, it could well have been spun as a relatively good news story.
But then in politics timing is everything.
On this occasion it wasn't great.