ABBOTSFORD—Today’s announcement of a federal grant for the city’s P3 water plan comes as no surprise.
The announcement this morning of a $65.7-million grant (of taxpayers’ money) is the federal government’s way of pushing communities to privatize public services like water treatment and delivery.
The announcement doesn’t change the math. Public Private Partnerships still cost more, due to higher borrowing costs, the loss of the community partner, less accountability and higher operating costs.
There are many other options that would ensure the future of Abbotsford’s drinking water supply more efficiently, more transparently and more economically.
Under federal trade negotiations now underway with the European Union, the rights of corporations to control our water could trump the public’s rights to our own water. In this atmosphere, signing away the rights to our drinking water for the next 30 years could well be disastrous.
“It is abhorrent policy for the federal government to dictate to communities that in order to access our federal tax dollars for vital infrastructure we need to privatize our services,” said Water Watch Mission- Abbotsford spokesperson Lynn Perrin.
For more details visit www.waterwatchma.ca.
