Liberals allowing private corporations to make money off Canadians' critical water infrastructure

NDP Infrastructure and Communities Critic Bonita Zarrillo made the following statement:

“Last week, Press Progress exposed how the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) plans to privatize water infrastructure across the country. In leaked notes from a CIB board meeting in April 2021, CEO Ehren Cory eagerly proposed letting 'private sector financing' overhaul the provision of water 'assets' – because water has a stable base of 'customers who pay.'

This is unacceptable. Water is a human right. It should not be financialized and commodified. It should be accessible for everyone without cost and the Liberals must stop helping corporations profit from charging people to meet their basic survival needs.

The City of Hamilton took back control over its water and wastewater system in 2004 after private providers oversaw drastic job cuts and massive raw sewage leaks for more than a decade. And the town of Mapleton walked away from a CIB commitment after financial analysis showed that funding its water and wastewater infrastructure through CIB would be considerably more expensive than self-financing and would carry greater risk to the township.

The cost of living is soaring and Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Instead of helping them, this Liberal government is going to sit back and allow Canadian families to pay private corporations for their water. This is wrong. It doesn't have to be this way for Canadians.

The NDP will continue to fight for you and by ensuring communities thrive with strong public services and infrastructure that families can count on.”