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"This government wasted $825,000 looking into privatizing our registries before realizing it was a bad idea. A previous Liberal government wasted millions privatizing our schools." — NSGEU acting President Sandra Mullen
Halifax (27 Jan. 2017) —The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE) is deeply disturbed to learn that Stephen McNeil's Liberal government has again spent public dollars to investigate their options for a P3 deal to fund the province's public hospitals.
Privatization is wasting millions
"This government wasted $825,000 looking into privatizing our registries before realizing it was a bad idea. A previous Liberal government wasted millions privatizing our schools," said Sandra Mullen, NSGEU's acting President, pointing out that Nova Scotia school boards have moved away from the P3 model entirely.
"When is this government going to realize they are throwing good money after bad, pursuing these private deals?" she asked
Corrupt, unaccountable P3s
P3 arrangements, which are public-private partnerships, have been proven to be bad deals for the public, over and over again. Globally, these deals have led to corruption, a complete lack of public accountability, and have ended up costing far more than a completely public project would.
In fact, the Department of Health's own former deputy minister, Peter Vaughan, recently admitted there were no examples of P3 deals he could find that would withstand public scrutiny.
NSGEU demands public ownership and control
"Once again, we see this Liberal government has a single-minded fixation on making it appear as though they are balancing their books, when in reality, they are simply looking for ways to push the cost of these important capital projects even further down the road," Mullen said.
The NSGEU/NUPGE is calling on government to show leadership on this file, and ensure Nova Scotia's hospitals are built, controlled, and fully owned by the public, without any interference from profit-driven private interests.