McFadyen’s Record on Privatization is Clear
Mar 30, 2007
It was ten years ago this week that the former Progressive Conservative government of Gary Filmon announced that Manitoba Health had selected Olsten Health Services to deliver home care services to new clients in Winnipeg. In short, this was the first step in an effort to privatize home care. At the time, the arrangement was deemed, “the best model to use to deliver high quality patient care while curtailing escalation of costs.”
We know what happened shortly after that. On April 16, 1996, hundreds of MGEU home care workers went on strike to protest the privatization of our home care program. When it was proven that home care services could not be delivered better and/or cheaper by a private company, the government backed off on its privatization plans and home care remained within the public sector.
Thanks to the efforts of home care workers and their clients and families, Manitobans receive a wide range of publicly-funded community support services. Lessons were learned by all those affected by the 1996 home care strike.
Ten years later, we still need to be vigilant to ensure that such vital services like home care remain public. There have been a number of statements given recently by Hugh McFadyen that underline why it’s important that we make public services an election issue when Premier Gary Doer drops the writ.
Conservative leader McFadyen recently stated that, if elected, he would “expand the private market for specialty wine stores.” One has to wonder if the desire to privatize the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission would be far behind. We know from the troubled experiment in Alberta that this is a path that Manitoba does not want to follow.
McFadyen has also shown support for privatized medicine, where people with the ability to pay may jump the queue to receive health care services. He told the Winnipeg Free Press that health care was not a major priority for his party (November 1, 2006). He told the Brandon Sun that he “would give people the right to purchase private (health) services.” Seems pretty clear.
McFadyen is on the record about the Conservative Party’s support of a “rebranded” Manitoba Hydro should they form government. He said recently that he wouldn’t privatize Hydro and yet he had this to say to the Winnipeg Sun on November 13, 2006: “We would look at involving the private sector to finance hydro projects.” Is this a back door route to privatizing a crown jewel of the Manitoba economy? Manitobans may want to ask the former senior Filmon aide what he means exactly when he comes asking for your vote.
It’s important to remember that, as a senior aide to former Premier Gary Filmon, Mr. McFadyen was a key architect of the much-maligned sale of the Manitoba Telephone System in 1996 (the same year they tried to privatize home care). He bragged about it on the Tory website. This is a high point for the rookie Tory leader, even though his party had stated they would not privatize MTS? They lied to Manitobans. Did you know that today Gary Filmon sits on the MTS Board of Directors?
Can the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba really be trusted with as valuable a crown corporation as Hydro? What about Autopac? Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) ensures that motorists in our province enjoy among the lowest insurance rates in the country. Premiums in provinces like Ontario are often more than twice what they are in Manitoba. Would that be part of a Tory plan to sell off Manitoba’s public assets?
The same kinds of question can be asked when it comes to privatizing jails – do we want to incarcerate our community’s most dangerous individuals with a corporation whose most important consideration is a decent return for stockholders? Other jurisdictions do it.
With a provincial election looming, we need to ensure we hold the politicians’ feet to the fire when it comes to answering questions about their commitment to providing quality, affordable public services. Or, as we have seen in the past, would they be willing to mortgage our future and roll the dice on privatization even when it doesn’t make dollars or sense?
Comments
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Respectfully, Jim Cotton, I disagree with just about everything you write. On one issue, however, I concur wholeheartedly: St Leon. That project is privatization pure and simple. The Doer government should think twice before bragging to Labour about their record on provatization. They're even handing over more control to private insurance companies via MPI - and in the process putting people's private information in jeopardy. Shame.
Jeff - -0001-11-30 00:00
The myth is , that the government of Alberta OWNS the oil. It does not. Private companies take the oil out of the ground and the government collects royalties. We could do the same with Hydro power. Hydro LOST money in the last few years. Where does that money come from ?? Us, the average hard working Manitoba taxpayer. Hydro is in so much debt, and it is mostly Americans who the debt is owed to. The Texas teachers own more of hydro than the people of Manitoba do. Also the privatization of hydro has already started. Just look at the windmills at St. Leon. They are run by PRIVATE ELECTRIC COMPANIES and SELL the hydro to Manitoba Hydro. If that is not privatization, I don't know what is. Also first nations are now owners of Hydro dams. And we are buying the power from them. you could say that is privatization, because it's not government owned. So privatization is already happening. NDP and TORY governments have let hydro slid. It could be run so much better. Also I would like a option for my insurance other than MPI. I say keep MPI and let in the private companies come in and compete. If MPI is so great, the people will STAY with them, and the private guys will hit the road. If MPI can do it cheaper, than people will stay with them. I am all for keeping MPI, but we also need more choices. As for booze, the MLCC does an OK job, but the prices still need to go up to cover the damage booze does to society. The social costs are much much more than any money the government makes right now.....some huge booze taxes would fix that. Also I really enjoy this blog. Also if I have the right to wreck my body, I should also have the right to spend my hard earned money on "jumping the que" to look after my body. I think the Quebec courts already had a say on that issue. We need to rethink health care. It should not be all about pills and doctors. We need to open our mind to what health care should be. In some countries, stuff we consider illegal drugs are natural cures.
jimcotton - -0001-11-30 00:00
Just because the oil-rich Albertan government thinks they have big enough reserves to throw away money-making public companies, doesn't mean that Manitoba should follow suit. Aside from the fact that privatization has resulted in liquor distribution problems and higher insurance rates in that province, I don’t see how a poorer province like Manitoba could survive without the money that's injected back into the government by well-run public companies like Hydro, MPI and MLCC. How many private companies would be sending out rebate cheques like MPI is? McFadyen should take a look at what privatization has done for companies like MTS before making any more comments on privatization. Public services are unbiased and give so much more back to the community.
APE - -0001-11-30 00:00
Everyone can't agree on everything ! I didn't know Doer was handing over more control to private companies via MPI. Doer is not a very labour friendly premier. Let's not forget how his wife closed their BC office as soon as they unionized. I think the NDP need a new leader. Filmon and Doer were actually childhood friends....scary. They have alot more in common then you know. What pisses me off is how they were selling shares of Crocus to lists of union members, and at the same time they KNEW it was all going in the tank. I think Sam Katz was the only guy that got a deal from that. He seems to make his living ripping off the little guy.
Jimcotton - 2007-04-02 11:05