Children Biggest Loser in Privatization Game Victoria, March 21st, 2010

After years of raising alarm about the dangers of privatizing public services such as sewage and water, the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition is hoping to set off a three-alarm-bell at next week’s Capital Regional District meeting.

“The CRD’s liquid waste management committee is scheduled to decide whether to privatize all or part of our new sewage system on March 24,” explains Water Watch Coalition volunteer Michelle Coburn. “We’re making a final appeal to local politicians to listen to the will of the voters, not the Provincial government. Which is why we’ve chosen to present our petitions at this meeting.”

The Water Watch Coalition has been collecting signatures of residents opposed to privatizing the region’s new sewage system, and has gathered over 3,500 to date. (Editor's note: Hundreds of signatures arrived just before the presentation, bringing the total to over 4160 signatures!)

“The BC government has tied their $300 million contribution to the CRD sewage project to private sector involvement,” explains Coburn, “And local politicians may be about to give in to this blackmail.”

These public-private partnerships (or P3s) usually span 20 or 30 years, and end up in the hands of giant multi-national corporations like Suez, who profit by cutting corners, and sidestepping environmental standards and accountability.

“This emphasis on P3s flies in the face of proven economic recovery strategies that work by keeping investments local, and supporting home-grown innovation and skills development,” says Coburn.

The decision made by the CRD committee next week will have implications for generations to come. It is this stark reality that alarms Water Watch Coalition members the most.

“It’s a giant ‘buy now, pay later scheme’, and our children and grandchildren will be the biggest losers," explains Coburn. “A public-private partnership might look good in the short term, but over time we’ll end up paying many times more than what it would have cost to build and operate the sewage system as a public enterprise – and we’ll end up with poorer quality service and standards to boot.”

The Water Watch Coalition’s petitions are just one of many ways that local citizens have been voicing their opposition to privatized sewage treatment. Opinion polling conducted by the CRD and others, and public meetings held by the CRD are consistently finding that the majority of residents do not want the private sector involved in this project.