Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow challenged a proposed public-private partnership (P3) in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba this evening.
The outreach by the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Manitoba for the public event noted, “This fall, City Council voted unanimously to build and run the Portage wastewater treatment plant and plant upgrade using a for-profit model (public-private partnership or P3) for the next 30 years. Attend this Town Hall Meeting if you want to know more about the impact of inserting the profit motive into our public water system. Our water is too important NOT to ask the important questions! What will it cost the City to go with a public-private partnership? Who benefits? What are the risks? Hear from Portage City Council, as well as local, regional and international speakers.”
As the event began, Barlow tweeted, “Great turnout for Portage La Prairie debate on P3 water contract!”
CUPE Manitoba also tweeted the highlights from Barlow’s speech including:
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From global perspective, we have so much here in Canada. So important to do the right thing on water. -
Trade agreements like CETA and TPP have “ratchet and standstill clauses”: once you go private, you can’t go back to public. -
Water has to be maintained as a public trust. -
We have to approach water issues from principles of water as a human right. -
Water crisis is real, and we are destroying groundwater too fast. Canada is no exception.
For comments from the other speakers, including former CUPE president Paul Moist, Local 1002 member Jeff Sing, Portage Mayor Irvine Ferris, and Regina Water Watch activist Jim Holmes, please go to @CUPEMB on Twitter.
For more on the issue, you can also watch this 7-minute video by Barlow made earlier today on this topic of P3s and water justice.
Further reading
Barlow to challenge proposed public-private partnership wastewater plant in Portage la Prairie (November 26, 2016)
