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Its not just a question of dollars and sense. It goes deeper than the bottom line. Its really about community and citizenship, about belonging and having a voice.

Advocates for privatization have always shied away from a discussion of values. They preferred to talk about savings and efficiencies. They pretended you could cut staff without cutting corners.

But a decade later, it has been clearly demonstrated that privatization costs more. So now they no longer pretend its about saving money. Now they pretend its about expertise, and global competitiveness, and ensuring that regulators can enforce regulations.

In fact, its about what its always been about. Reducing the role of government in order to increase corporate power and profits.

This years Annual Report on Privatization again documents how contracting out and public private partnerships cost consumers, taxpayers and communities more money. It demonstrates how access, safety and accountability are threatened when the private sector and the profit motive replace the public sector and the common good.

But it goes beyond the facts and figures to highlight the fundamental threat that increased privatization represents to our quality of life and our democratic future. And it underlines the federal role through its actions and its inaction in promoting privatization.

CUPE joins with the Canadians interviewed in this report in calling on our governments to govern in the public interest. We reject moves to convert vital public services into commercial transactions that treat our rights as goods. And we pledge our continued efforts to ensure that every resident of Canada and every citizen of this planet can count on high quality public services that will allow them to fully participate in shaping our collective future.

Its called democracy.

Judy Darcy

National President

Canadian Union of Public Employees