Pro-P3 Poll Doesn’t Tell Whole Story
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A new poll by a pro-privatization group
doesn’t accurately reflect Canadian views about privatizing public
infrastructure and services through public private partnerships, says the
Canadian Union of Public Employees.
“Ask a hypothetical question and you’ll get a hypothetical answer. There
are an awful lot of ‘ifs’ attached to the poll’s main question,” says CUPE
National President Paul Moist. “Their key question is based on an unfounded
premise, and reflects the fantasy of what P3s claim to deliver.
“Instead, the poll should have asked about the reality of P3s across the
country: higher costs, secrecy and reduced accountability, lower-quality
services and restricted access to them,” Moist said. “Crunch the numbers and
you’ll get a different result.”
The poll, released today by the Canadian Council for Public-Private
Partnerships, insults the intelligence of the Canadian public and Canadian
workers by suggesting that they would favour P3s for hospitals and other
infrastructure projects, Moist added.
“Everyone agrees we need a major reinvestment in infrastructure and
services. But the answer doesn’t lie in more private sector involvement. Let’s
give Canadians a real choice,” Moist said.
“There is strong support for more public dollars going to rebuild and
expand infrastructure and services, and there are innovative ways to publicly
finance the services that keep our communities working.”
Research shows that P3s don’t deliver lower costs. Governments can borrow
at better rates than even the biggest multinational. The additional costs of
requests for proposals, project oversight, legal advice and other P3-related
expenses just add to the price tag.
From early P3s in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to the P3 hospitals
underway today, economists and auditors have confirmed that the savings don’t
add up. Recent analysis of a P3 hospital project in Brampton, Ont., shows it
will cost as much as $175 million more than if it were a public project. Costs
are spinning out of control in the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit
P3. Leaked details predict a cost overrun of between $100 and $300 million,
and construction hasn’t even started.
“People may respond well to the notion of a ‘partnership,’ but they
change their mind when they realize P3s are fundamentally imbalanced in favour
of corporations – not communities. Residents of Vancouver, Toronto, Hamilton
and Halifax have rejected P3s for water operations. They know that it won’t
work for their families. They know that it will cost them more money,” Moist
said.
He concluded by pointing to a national Ipsos-Reid poll conducted in April
2004 for CUPE and the Council of Canadians that showed strong support for
public investment and delivery of public services.
Visit CUPE to access background on the April 2004 poll.
@ November 22, 2004