UPDATED June 4, 2008
Report on CUPE’s Press Conference to Launch Their “Public Works Best for Our Manors” Campaign
-On
Thursday, April 24, CUPE’s Provincial Health Council held a press
conference to launch their “Public Works Best for Our Manors”
Campaign. The campaign’s objective is to keep the Ghiz government
from using the very flawed Public Private Partnership (P3) concept
to replace the Island's aging manors.
-P3's usually involves
the government partnering with a private sector company to build and
maintain a piece of public infrastructure. The private company
builds and owns it, then leases it back to government over a period of
20-30
years. This allows the government to only show the yearly lease payments on their books rather than the full cost.
-The
2 biggest problems associated with P3's that were brought up during the
press conference were that they lead to taxpayers paying more, due
to higher borrowing costs and the need to generate profit, for
infrastructure that ends up being privately controlled The other
major problem mentioned by the speakers is the real problem P3's bring
regarding democratic accountability and transparency
due to private sector commercial confidentiality which leads to
details of these deals being kept secret and away from the public
scrutiny.
-Speaking out against P3's at the conference were Bill McKinnon, CUPE National Servicing Rep
who lead the conference; Milo Murray, CUPE PEI President; Blair
Penny, VP of the PEI Federation of Labour; Shelley Ward,
UPSE President; Mary Boyd PEI Health Coalition; Leo
Broderick, Council of Canadians; James Rodd, NDP, Sharon Labchuck,
Green Party; and Olive Crane PC.
-At
the press conference, Bill McKinnon announced that the conference was
just the beginning of phase 1 of this campaign. Other parts of this
phase includes: radio ads, a website (link below), membership
education and community based initiatives. Further phases will
depend on the Ghiz government’s actions. He also announced that
CUPE, UPSE, IUOE and the PEI Nurses’ Union have already formed the
“Coalition of Prince Edward Island HealthUnions” and that they had
a meeting that afternoon with Health Minster Currie.
Public Works Best for our Manors Campaign Website
Federation Vice President's Statement at the Press Conference
Bill McKinnon, CUPE National Servicing Rep's Speech at the Press Conference
Flawed, Failed, Abandoned: 100 P3s, Canadian & International Evidence
Press Release Main
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