McNeil Liberals refuse to be transparent on cost of P3s

Halifax-- The McNeil Liberals are continuing to deny access to information about the costs of public-private partnerships (P3s). Yesterday, Liberal members of the Public Accounts Committee tried to block the issue of P3 highways coming to the committee. The Liberal government is also refusing to release documents through freedom of information to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents highway workers in the province.

“There is a mountain of evidence showing that P3 projects cost more than traditional builds. If the Liberal government has proof P3s are the right choice, the public deserves to see it,” said Susan Leblanc, NDP Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal spokesperson.

In addition to the Highway 104 project, the McNeil Liberals are also using P3 deals to build a number of health facilities, including the QEII redevelopment in Halifax. In the case of that project, the Liberals have refused to release a report from Deloitte about the financial implications of using P3s.

“We’re still paying millions of dollars for P3 schools the Liberals built 20 years ago. The public deserves to know why the Liberal government today is going down a route that has failed Nova Scotians before,” said Leblanc.

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