FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Unceded Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam territories — Burnaby, BC) Within the next decade, British Columbia’s local transit systems could be united into an upgraded province-wide public transit network, offering safe, reliable, affordable service for riders travelling within and between communities throughout the province.
Public services and privatization
After years of neglect and privatization, today’s transit system in BC is plagued with overcrowding, delays and big gaps in service. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. In collaboration with the BC Federation of Labour, we published Connecting BC: a 10-year vision for public transit throughout BC. This report is a 10-year transit investment plan that outlines a path to make transit affordable, accessible, inclusive, carbon-zero and a great experience for users across the province.
What’s in the plan?
This edition of Selling Saskatchewan marks our third update of the history of privatization, contracting-out of public services and public-private-partnerships under the Saskatchewan Party government. Despite often claiming that they harbour no “privatization agenda,” we estimate that the government has sold off over $1.2 billion in public assets and eliminated over 2,000 public sector jobs via privatization and out-sourcing since coming to power.
Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press on August 5, 2023
Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press August 15, 2023
The history of public and private ownership of telecommunications services is critical to understanding how government policy can, and should, protect quality service and good, local unionized jobs.
Based on “For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Privatization of the Manitoba Telephone Services and its Impacts” by Doug Smith
The world of telecommunications has continued to undergo “a sea-change into something rich and strange". Some people have gotten very rich: telecommunications is one of the most profitable industries in Canada.
The Stefanson government’s full-on privatization of provincial liquor sales went into overdrive last week with the introduction of Bill 30.
Claim: “Budget 2023 removes 47,400 low-income Manitobans from the tax rolls and saves the average family $1,000”
Impact: More of the Basic Personal Amount tax change money will go to Manitoba’s richest 10% than the bottom 50% combined.
The poorest 10% (100,100 Manitobans) get no benefit from this change as they don’t make enough to be on the tax rolls currently.
The second-poorest 10% (990,900 Manitobans) saves only $74 by the increase in the Basic Personal Amount.