Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

OTTAWA – In spite of its claims, the latest Conservative budget is not going to make Canada better or safer, nor will it make it fairer, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

“The federal budget proposes to establish a $25-million office to foster public-private partnerships (P3s), when what Canadians need and deserve are quality public services that are publicly funded and delivered,” says PSAC National President John Gordon.

The budget calls for $1.26 billion over 7 years in a national fund for unspecified public-private partnerships, as well as $2.1 billion for gateways and border crossings, including the new Windsor-Detroit access which is already earmarked as a P3 initiative.

“Despite the Conservative budget’s praise for P3s in other countries, experience actually shows that public-private partnerships are less accountable and produce higher long-term costs,” says Gordon. “If our tax dollars are paying for this country’s infrastructure, then we should own it. P3s are simply a way to guarantee corporate profits at taxpayers’ expense.”

The Conservative budget also sets the stage to put the health and safety of Canadians in jeopardy through deregulation. Government regulations set the terms and the extent to which the safety of the public is protected, whether it is food and drug safety, the environment, transportation or public health.

“Canadians expect a government that supports strong regulations and effective enforcement,” says Gordon. “The Conservative budget sends the opposite message. Public safety now takes a back seat to economic competitiveness.”

The Conservative budget also fails to address Canada’s social infrastructure. The budget provides a mere $250 million to the provinces for the creation of child care spaces, instead of the $1.2 billion that was part of the signed agreements negotiated by the Liberals and repudiated by the Conservatives.

“Not only is this an immense reduction, there is no obligation on the provinces to actually use these funds for child care or early learning,” says Gordon. “In addition, the government is continuing to pursue its misguided notion that a tax credit for businesses will create child care spaces. Tax credits haven’t created any child care facilities up to now and the proposed 25% investment tax credit won’t create any in the future.”

And, while the Conservatives are prepared to spend lavishly in some areas, there is nothing in the budget to reverse their decisions last fall to cut the operating budget and close most of the regional Status of Women offices, to eliminate funding for women’s groups to conduct research that will produce solutions for systemic change, and to eliminate the Court Challenges Program.