Decades of underfunding has reduced the quality of public services across Canada, including here in Newfoundland & Labrador.
Before 2017, we were the only province that had resisted the use of public-private partnerships (or P3s). Now you can find private contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars are in almost every area of the public sector. Instead of putting public funds towards public services, P3s are quickly becoming the norm–whether it’s in healthcare, in municipal services, or in our education system–and we’re paying the price.
Across Canada P3s are being touted as a pathway to improve public services. But private contracts in the public sector reduce the quality of public services and increase the price tag. Don’t believe myths about your public services. Say no to P3s and privatization!
We’ll see you at St. John’s Pride, The Rocky Harbour Festival of Lights, The Royal St. John’s Regatta, plus many more events! Talk to your local executive to find out when we will be in your community!
Plus, we’re holding a naming contest for the new CUPE Newfoundland & Labrador trailer! A reminder that this trailer is available for all CUPE Newfoundland & Labrador locals to use for events.
Come see us in person this summer in to submit your entry for the name contest. The winner gets a $150 Best Buy gift card!
Want to learn more? Read on for more myth-busting facts about privatization of public services in Newfoundland & Labrador.
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Busting myths about public services in Newfoundland & Labrador
Instead of giving healthcare workers a fair deal, our government is giving public money to private companies.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the province spent $1M annually on travel agency nurses. But last year that number jumped to $36M, just from April to August.
And since private-sector nurses make higher wages and have better perks than those working in the public sector, we’re experience a major staffing shortage in our public healthcare system.
High-quality and accessible public services are important, and they represent more than just the bottom line.
The standard of our public services can shape the growth and the development of entire communities. This is about your health, your opportunities, and your future.
Two years after Adult Basic Education was privatized in 2013, operating costs increased by $2.4M. The average tuition costs went up 88% and enrolment dropped by almost one third.
Strong public services cost less and serve us better. Plus, public services are accountable to the public.
The provincial government is increasingly reliant on privatized virtual health services from companies like Teladoc Health. But a class action lawsuit has recently been filed against Teladoc Health for sharing health information with Facebook for targeted advertising.
Those profiting off of P3s in our province want you to think that private contracts are the best way to improve services. But that’s not true.
Conception Bay South’s town council voted to end contracting out of solid waste collection in 2011. They estimate returning this service to the public sector has saved $230,000 every year.
Paradise, NL decided to bring their waste removal and snow clearing services back in-house, and they projected it would cost half as much as the private contract to do the same—which was valued at $2M annually.