OTTAWA The president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) will be joined by Lewis Auerbach, Senior Research Associate at the Carleton University Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development and Stephen Shrybman, LL.B., of the law firm Sack, Goldblatt, Mitchell, to discuss a new report titled: Issues raised by Public Private Partnerships in Ontario’s hospital sector, at a news conference, tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa, 101 Lyon Street, in the Richelieu Room (CL Level). The report will show that Public Private Partnership (P3) hospitals end up costing taxpayers more money in the long run and will show how the government is being secretive about privately funded hospitals in Ontario, including one planned for the Royal Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa.
What? Release and discussion of a new report titled: Issues raised by Public Private Partnerships in Ontario’s hospital sector.
Who? Lewis Auerbach, former Director in Audit Operations Branch for the Auditor General of Canada, now Senior Research Associate at the Carleton University Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development.
Steven Shrybman, LL.B., Sack Goldblatt Mitchell
Michael Hurley, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU)/Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
When? Tuesday, December 3rd at 1:00 p.m.
Where? Richelieu Room
CL Level
Crown Plaza Hotel
101 Lyon Street
Ottawa
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Why? The Ontario government has increased funding for privately owned and operated hospitals built in public private partnerships (P3’s). But a review by auditor Lewis Auerbach shows that P3 hospitals will likely cost taxpayers significantly more than privately built, but publicly owned hospitals. He raises serious concerns about the lack of information made available to the public before the decisions are made and the potential for reduced accountability afterwards. Auerbach discusses the possibility that the additional financial obligations incurred in these projects will negatively impact on government capacity to pay for related medical services, such as home care and group homes. Auerbach’s study raises many questions for which the government has failed to provide answers.
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For further information, please contact:
Robert Lamoureux, CUPE Communications, 416-292-3999 or 416-727-9144 (cell)