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Take the time to become informed on P3 water plan

A number of years ago a certain Socred government from back in the day, deregulated and sold our Province’s natural gas.

A number of years ago a certain Socred government from back in the day, deregulated and sold our Province’s natural gas.

Now we collect royalties on the gas sold to the American market and taxes on our gas bills of course, but the revenue once enjoyed from the sale of this natural resource is lost forever to the people of B.C.

This is why some of us get very concerned when we hear about run of the river projects, and the breaking up of BC hydro into Accenture, Transmission, Dams, etc. Once these things are sold they are pretty much gone from the public hands forever, (or in the case of BC Rail 99 years.)  It’s why we get very nervous when our governments start dealing away our public assets.

Recently, it has come to light that the City councils of Abbotsford and Mission have been planning for quite some time to P3 partner with a company to improve our water system. This company will be a D.O.B. (design operate build).  It is being implied by some that this company will be interested in spending hundreds of millions of dollars for a partial share in our water system.(Something about that speculation is making me have an atavistic response.)

You are going to get a referendum on this matter, much like the one you had for Plan A.  There is likely going to be an advertising “vote yes campaign” as there was for Plan A.

Looking back at the deal the city made for AESC in Plan A, it would have been a good idea to look at the P3 model, and perhaps save the tax payers many millions, because it serves special interest groups and is meant to run for a profit.

Our water however, is a different story. It’s a precious commodity, very necessary to us all and very possibly an asset the people of Abbotsford and Mission might wish they had not signed away.  Please take the time to get informed on this matter, and please, the 89 per cent that didn’t vote in the last referendum, take the time.

 

Anne Graham