Jan 172013
 
McGillUniversityHealthCentre
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 Latest in a series of scandals at McGill University Health Centre.

from the National Union of Public and General Employees

The recent raid of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) by police investigating concerns about the public-private partnership project to build a hospital is a reminder of the seamy side of privatization.

But this is not the first problem encountered with the P3 hospital.
 

The project has come under fire twice before.

First Quebec's auditor general found errors in the cost comparison between the P3 proposal and public options for MUHC. and Centre Hospitalier de l'universite de Montreal (CHUM). When those errors were corrected, the P3 option went from being $33.8 million cheaper than the public option to $10.4 million more expensive.
 
Then, six months ago, it was announced that the P3 hospital would be four months late opening. Privatization proponents tout the MUHC as an example for other private hospitals to follow. In 2010, the MUHC P3 received a Gold Award for Project Financing from the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.
 
The MUHC P3 example is one more reminder of the problems caused by keeping accurate information about privatization from the public. Rules requiring transparency and accountability are needed to protect the public interest when privatization is proposed for public services.
 
The Public Services Foundation of Canada has put out a five-point plan to protect the public interest when privatized services are proposed. You can find that plan at Public Service Foundation of Canada: Something to Value .

About National Union of Public and General Employees


The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good.

© Copyright 2013 National Union of Public and General Employees, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca
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