P3s are bad for consumers, workers, taxpayers and communities. That was the message from CUPE members who protested November 23 outside a conference promoting so-called public private partnerships.
Some 600 highly-placed officials from municipal and provincial governments and the corporate sector, including Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin and former Ontario premier Bob Rae, had gathered in Toronto to trade notes on privatization strategies. But a gathering of protesters denounced the conference as nothing more than a front 0061006e0064 made clear that privateers should expect continuing public scrutiny.
National President Judy Darcy told the demonstrators, “meeting inside this hotel are some of the biggest corporations, bankers and consulting companies in the world 00770068006f are planning how to sell off our public services to the private sector.”
Darcy said, “it’s disgraceful that we have elected public officials taking part in this conference. They have no mandate to privatize public services. If they don’t believe in public services, they should get the hell out of public office!”
The P3 conference was sponsored by the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, which includes some of the world’s largest corporations. The conference is examining ways to privatize literally any public service 007300630068ools, hospitals, roads, social services and even water.