Previously published in the Brandon Sun May 9, 2023
Five schools for the price of four - this is the deal the Pallister government got when it abandoned the plan to build schools through a Public-Private-Partnership (P3) model and used the usual public model instead. The government built five schools for the same cost using the regular process. In addition to being more expensive, P3s have been criticized for excluding local contractors, lack of transparency and loss of public control over taxpayer-funded assets.
Public services and privatization
The Shock Doctrine occurs when neoliberal and undemocratic agendas are rapidly advanc
The Convoy that took over Ottawa for a month last year just met outside Winnipeg this past weekend. While the right to protest is an essential part of our democracy, it is important to look critically at this movement that has harboured white supremacist, libertarian and in some cases even fascist beliefs. These ideas have originated most recently in the USA, but have a long and odious history elsewhere in the world.
The condition ofWinnipeg’s infrastructure is a seemingly endless source
Issue highlights:
Ce rapport examine l’état des finances des provinces canadiennes et constate que, malgré les effets dévastateurs de l’épidémie de COVID-19 sur le Canada, les déficits des provinces sont en passe de disparaître beaucoup plus rapidement que prévu initialement.
En fait, la majorité des provinces sont déjà en excédent budgétaire ou le deviendront au cours du prochain exercice, à mesure que l’économie se redressera.
As Canada reaches two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial deficits are on track to disappear much faster than initially predicted.
Disappearing Act: The state of provincial deficits in Canada, examines the state of provincial finances and finds that major positive revisions of revenue projections mean fiscal surpluses have either already arrived or will soon.
OTTAWA—Provincial deficits are on track to disappear much faster than initially predicted despite unprecedented spending to fight COVID-19, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
In the two years since Canada’s pandemic experience began, transit ridership across the country has plummeted. Or perhaps, more accurately, riders who had the ability to work remotely or the ability to find alternate transportation to work did so. Early in the pandemic, ridership in Toronto, for example, declined as much as 85% resulting in a $21 million per week revenue loss for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). In turn, the TTC laid off 450 employees and reduced service.
For governments that seek to defend the public-private partnership (P3) model and their continued use of it, the “value for money” (VfM) report is often the primary means by which governments seek to lessen public skepticism and justify their decision in opting for a P3.