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Campbell Liberals urged to pull back from P3 hospital schemes in wake of collapsed convention deal.

If the provincial government can’t put together a public-private partnership for a new convention centre, it should reconsider this approach to building hospitals, says the Hospital Employees’ Union(CUPE).

“The wheels are coming off the Campbell Liberals’ P3 wagon,” says HEU secretary-business manager Chris Allnutt. “Minister Rick Thorpe now says the only successful P3 convention centres are attached to casinos.

“What does this mean for potential P3 hospitals? What revenue guarantees will investors demand to make these P3 deals work for them?” asks Allnutt. “I don’t think British Columbians are willing to gamble their health care services on these schemes.

Victoria is proposing P3 arrangements to finance and operate a hospita in Abbotsford and an academic ambulatory care building at Vancouver Hospital.

A study by forensic auditor Ron Parks of the Abbotsford proposal concluded that a P3 arrangement could result in a much more costly alternative than a traditional publicly owned and financed facility.

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has yet to produce a business case for the Academic Ambulatory Care building P3.

“Taxpayers would pay more for P3 hospitals and front-line care services would suffer,” says Allnutt. “It’s time to build these much needed facilities now - and build them publicly.”

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