The bottom line for these corporations is profit, says Danny Cavanagh, a CUPE activist coordinating the Halifax Water Watch campaign. This consortium realizes it cant make enough of a profit to justify this project to its shareholders. The only sound alternative to ensure that the public gets the best deal possible is if the project itself remains in public hands.
The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has invited proposals from three private-sector firms to design, build, own and operate four new sewage treatment plants to be built around Halifax Harbour. Last week the municipality indicated that Aquafax would not submit a bid for the $315 million treatment plant system.
The announcement comes on the heels of HRM Councils decision not to release the findings of a reference bid prepared by Price Waterhouse Coopers on behalf of the HRM.
This is just a sign of things to come, adds Cavanagh. Just like the recent fiasco between the Canadian Military and the company contracted to transport military hardware from Yugoslavia, the same thing can happen with Halifax Harbour Solutions. What guarantees could a multinational corporation possibly give taxpayers that it would not increase rates or pull out in five years if theyre not making enough of a profit?
CUPE is committed to making sure that taxpayers get the best deal possible by campaigning to keep Harbour Solutions public. CUPE is working closely with other community groups to expose the facts behind this P3 process, and is determined to make Harbour Solutions the issue during the upcoming municipal elections.
For more information, please contact:
Danny Cavanagh at, 455-4180, or
Larry Power at, 454-6369