Privatization, P3s & public services

Quebec Auditor General slams P3s in hospital project

Jun 11, 2010
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Quebec’s Auditor General has issued yet one more report slamming the use of public private partnerships (P3s).  With P3s, private corporations finance and operate public facilities and services.  The money they invest is more costly than money borrowed publicly.  It is paid back to them, along with profits for the corporation, by governments over multi-decade contracts…. View Article

Summer reading: two experts on privatization

May 20, 2010
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Policy Note has asked CCPA Research Associates who contribute to the blog to suggest some ideas for summer reading.  I am going to cheat a bit by suggesting two books.  I am going to cheat even more by admitting I haven’t read one of them. I spend a lot of my time reading and writing… View Article

Problems for the South Fraser Perimeter Road P3?

May 12, 2010
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There are some interesting recent developments on the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) public private partnership project.  A press release issued Friday afternoon announced the successful bidder in response to a Requests for Proposal.  The results may not be what we were led to expect. The SFPR project is part of the Province’s Gateway project… View Article

BC opens door to private jails

May 2, 2010
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The BC government has taken the next step down the privatization road by opening the door to private prisons.  On April 28th Partnerships BC posted a request for qualification on the BC Bid web site for a public private partnership (P3) for the Surrey Pretrial Centre. You need to register with Bid BC to see… View Article

Income Taxes are a steal: Seth’s tax confessions

Apr 5, 2010
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I just did my taxes this weekend, and I’m wracked with guilt. Personally, I’ve never found completing my taxes particularly onerous. It takes me a few hours — no big deal. I’m paid well (and well above the average). I’ve never had to hire an accountant, as I’m not doing anything fancy. I’m only availing… View Article

Victoria’s billion dollar P3 decision

Mar 16, 2010
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On March 24th the Victoria area’s Capital Regional District (CRD) is going to make a billion dollar decision.  The province has ordered the CRD to end its controversial practice of pumping raw sewage into the ocean.  But it has also ordered the CRD to consider using a public private partnership (P3) for the project. Regardless… View Article

The business elite’s parking tax backlash

Jan 8, 2010
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The media is reporting a “backlash” against the new parking tax in Vancouver.  The Vancouver Sun reports it is a “slickly organized” backlash being run by Vancouver’s business elite.  This is apparently a 30 member business coalition including the Board of Trade. This is not the first time Vancouver’s business elite has gotten organized around… View Article

AG’s office changes policy

Dec 9, 2009
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BC’s Auditor General has made an important change in the way his office does its work that will help guarantee the independence of his office. In the past, part of the money that paid for the operation of the AG’s Office came from providing contracted services to organizations like crown corporations and other agencies outside… View Article

Public or private – how the choice for P3s gets made

Nov 14, 2009
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Did you ever wonder how Partnerships BC justifies using 35 year contracts for public private partnerships rather than borrowing the money publicly and doing things like hospitals and roads as public projects? Well now you can find out.  PBC has published its methodology on a website.  They have even asked for comments on the methodology,… View Article