While British Columbia continues to invest billions in public private partnerships(P3s), a UK Parliamentary Committee today told its government to “wean itself off the practice.” The Treasury Select Committee found: We have not seen clear evidence of savings and benefits in other areas of PFI projects which are sufficient to offset this significantly higher cost of [...]
Keith Reynolds’s Blog Posts
Keith Reynolds is a National Research Representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees. He has done policy work for all three levels of government. Keith maintains a Facebook page in honour of BC cheese.
Public private partnerships under increasing attack in the UK
August 19th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 2 Comments · Privatization, P3s & public services, Transparency & accountability
What’s behind the push for a municipal auditor general?
August 12th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 1 Comment · Taxes, Transparency & accountability
The call for the creation of an Auditor General for BC’s municipalities almost seems like a “no-brainer,” doesn’t it? Charlie Smith had a good article in the Georgia Straight outlining reasons why a municipal AG would be a good idea. Some people, in some municipalities have had problems with transparency. And while the Province does [...]
Hochstein and the demand to cut union wages
August 8th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · Comments Off · Employment & labour, Municipalities, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Taxes
Last week Philip Hochstein had an op-ed in the Vancouver Province accusing municipalities of profligate spending and accusing municipal workers of being vastly overpaid. Hochstein is president of the Independent Contractors and Business Association of BC – representing non union construction corporations. He is the public face of the hard right in British Columbia and has [...]
Government restores a little of what it took away from social assistance recipients – Acknowledges value of being able to walk
July 26th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 2 Comments · Poverty, inequality & welfare
If someone takes something away from you and then a year later gives half of it back, how much credit should they get for it? Well, less than half actually, but you get my point. That seems to be the question the BC government is posing with its announcement Monday that it has “expanded its [...]
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Future government contract costs jump 50% in one year
July 20th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 1 Comment · Energy, Environment, resources & sustainability
Although it has received some coverage in the media it is worth noting the eye-popping jump in the cost of long term contracts signed by the BC government in the last year. These contracts don’t go on the books as debt, but just like debt we will be responsible for it for the next 30 [...]
Foreign trade issues playing out in BC
June 10th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 1 Comment · Education, Municipalities
Last week Premier Christy Clark took the unprecedented step of promising there would be public consultation regarding the Province’s position on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union. If this really happens it would be an important opportunity. The current government has never allowed the public to have a [...]
Tags: CETA·Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement·Foreign Trade Zone
What would Stanley say about Brigette Marcelle?
June 4th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 11 Comments · Electoral reform, Transparency & accountability
For the last 30 years or so when confronted with a thorny issue I have often asked myself this question: what would Stanley say? This is the lens I would like to apply to Brigette Marcelle’s actions in the Senate last week. Marcelle is the young Senate page who during the Speech from the Throne [...]
Suspicion about private finance schemes growing in the UK
June 2nd, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 5 Comments · Privatization, P3s & public services, Transparency & accountability
On May 16th British Columbia’s Auditor General published a report on Vancouver General Hospital P3 that raised serious doubts about public private partnerships in British Columbia. In the UK, where P3s have been around a lot longer, the doubts are getting even graver. Under P3s, or private finance initiative (PFI) as they are known in [...]
British Columbia Auditor finds costly failings in Province’s first hospital P3
May 23rd, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · 3 Comments · Privatization, P3s & public services, Transparency & accountability
A new report by British Columbia’s Auditor General has debunked nearly every benefit claimed so far for public private partnerships (P3s). The Auditor General’s report on a Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA) project adds to earlier criticisms by his counterparts about failings in P3 hospital projects in Quebec and Ontario. The BC report, released on [...]
Have we completely bought the idea that “There Is No Alternative”?
May 18th, 2011 · Keith Reynolds · Comments Off · Energy
Once again, over the last few weeks Canadians have had energy costs on our minds. Prices at the pump rocketed up to nearly $1.50, while the price of a barrel of oil was actually going down. What can we possibly do? Industry officials blame unrest in the Middle East and floods on the Mississippi. Former [...]
Tags: Petro-Canada
