A new poll shows that while there’s work to do raising awareness about P3s, once Canadians find out what they are, the majority oppose private corporations owning and operating schools, hospitals, roads and other public services.
The CUPE-commissioned poll found that when the public knows even the basics of P3 schemes, 80 per cent demand that P3s be open to media and public scrutiny. The same strong support backs CUPE’s position that governments should have to prove P3s save money. The public doesn’t want banks, multinational corporations or pension funds owning public facilities. Instead, 71 per cent favour government ownership.
The poll also found there’s a need for CUPE members to have more conversations with their family, friends and neighbours to get P3s onto the public’s radar. Only 8 per cent of respondents say they know exactly what P3s are, with 71 per cent saying they haven’t heard enough about P3s to know what they mean.
