MEDIA RELEASE: Selling Off Public Services Not In Nova Scotians’ Best Interests

Yesterday, Finance Minister Randy Delorey announced that Nova Scotia’s books were in even worse shape than his government had originally anticipated. The primary reason for this shortfall is cited as decreased personal income tax revenues, which is “primarily due to slower growth in compensation of employees.”

“If the deficit has risen already because of shrinking salaries, how will the government’s proposed five years of low – or non-existent – wage increases for the entire public sector help the province’s situation?” asks NSGEU President Joan Jessome.

“This clearly shows you cannot grow an economy by merely cutting. And you certainly cannot do it by selling off our public services.”

On the heels of yesterday’s deficit announcement, the government also announced they are now paying a private company almost $1 million to study whether or not we should toll our public highways.

“Why are Nova Scotians now paying this company a million dollars to come up with a game plan to execute a decision the Liberals have clearly already made?” says Jessome.

“If tolling the highways isn’t already a foregone conclusion, government should skip the expensive consultation and take this decision to a plebiscite, and let Nova Scotians decide.”

And today, the government issued their Request for Proposal for privatizing our Land Registry, Registry of Joint Stock, and Registry of Motor Vehicles.

“It doesn’t make any sense to sell off these registries for a lump sum. Haven’t we been down this road before with Nova Scotia Power?” asks Jessome.

“We clearly need the revenue these registries generate to continue to fund the public services Nova Scotians depend on every day, as this government continues to attack citizens with jobs while doing very little to create new full-time jobs.”

-30-

The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotian’s count on every day.

For more information, please contact:

 Holly Fraughton, NSGEU Communications Officer

902.424.4063 (office)

902.471.1781 (cell)

hfraughton@nsgeu.ca