Tom Graham, President, CUPE Saskatchewan
REGINA – CUPE applauds the Provincial Auditor’s report for highlighting concerns about SaskBuilds’ use of unsubstantiated numbers, but is raising red flags about their reliance on an out-of-province consultant with a biased approach to P3s.
“If the government claims Saskatchewan is going to have a different approach to costly P3s, then why is it adopting faulty advice from a BC crown corporation criticized by its own government?,” questioned Tom Graham, President of CUPE Saskatchewan.
SaskBuilds is spending $5.6 million for advice from Partnerships BC, which has faced tough criticism from British Columbia’s Ministry of Finance for being biased in favour of P3s. Partnerships BC, established in 2002 to advise the government of British Columbia, receives all of its revenue from consulting fees. SaskBuilds has a comprehensive contract with Partnerships BC to develop four P3s: the Swift Current long term care centre, the North Battleford Integrated Hospital and Correctional Project, nine joint-use schools, and the Regina Bypass Project.
“We are beginning to see that the provincial government, through SaskBuilds, is exaggerating the costs of public sector procurement so it can push its expensive P3 model,” said Graham. “The track record of costly P3 mistakes across Canada should be enough evidence to show that P3 privatization is the worst way to finance the building of new infrastructure.”
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For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Nathan Markwart, Executive Assistant, CUPE Saskatchewan
Office: 306-757-1009
Cell: 306-537-9426
NM cope 342