Privatization by the P’s, three of them

The Premiers address to the UBCM last Friday has the MLA for the North Coast sounding the warning over the increasing indication of plans to use privatization, mainly to be used on major capital projects across the province.

The much discussed, debated and detracted 3P’s platform (Public- Private Partnerships) was given another push by the government during UBCM week.

An approach that has found a few opposed to the plans. Claiming that the plans are nothing but privatization by the back door, Coons raised his concerns in a front page article Monday with the Daily News

CAMPBELL PRIVATIZING BY THE BACK DOOR, SAYS MLA
Gary Coons claims premier dealing into hands of ‘elite’
The Daily News
Monday, October 30, 2006
Pages one and three

North Coast MLA Gary Coons has a number of his own words to describe the advent of more so-called P3s – and few of them are positive.

Coons was responding to premier Gordon Campbell’s speech given Friday at the Union of B. C. Municipalities (UBCM) meeting in Victoria.

He said his primary concern was that Campbell called for “all provincially funded capital projects which have a value of $20 million… to be sent to Partnerships B. C. to be built as public private partnerships (P3s), unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.”

Coons said the comment was the latest installment in the Liberals’ plan to privatize everything.

“As we all know, P3 is a term for another unpopular privatization mechanism,” said Coons. “The public knows that privatization is bad for public services.

“P3s sound more friendly, but the end result is the same- more private sector control over and involvement in public services. When P3s are formed, the public loses access to information about contract details and profits.”

Coons added that the Liberals still don’t have any proof that P3s are more efficient of save tax dollars.

“Obviously, this Liberal policy direction is dealing into the hands of the corporate elite, leaving the rest of British Columbians to fold their hands.”

Campbell also promised that the government will dedicate $41 million to help develop town squares and build infrastructure in smaller communities, with the goal of improving outdoor public meeting places in time for B. C.’s 150th anniversary in 2008, under what is being called a “B. C. Spirit Square Program.”
Under that program, the province will share up to half the capital costs for town square projects, contributing up to $500,000 for each.

In addition, the government said another $21 million would go toward various infrastructure projects over the next three years in towns with populations of less than 5,000.

“Small towns have very different challenges and infrastructure priorities and this program will help these communities meet their goals,” said Campbell.

But Coons said that the money would be better used on addressing the homelessness crisis that currently exists in B. C., and that Campbell’s plan to offer funding for smaller communities was just another example of him looking to “make up for the government’s failed and abandoned ‘Heartlands Strategy.”

And Campbell’s brief outline regarding the housing/homelessness issue contained no specifics, said Coons, which made him wonder just how concerned the provincial government is about the current poverty problems in B. C.

Campbell said in his speech that the government would raise social assistance and welfare rates in the spring, but didn’t give any concrete numbers. He also suggested that local zoning is one of the keys to affordable housing.

“B. C. needs more than zoning changes to build affordable housing and the government must commit to a real affordable housing strategy,” said Coons. “It was this government that cut the shelter allowance for families in 2002, and they must raise welfare rates so that families can feed and house their children.

With files from CP