An old idea about to be re-visited
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- Published on Thursday, June 25, 2015
Ken Waddell
Right in the Centre
There has been some very preliminary discussion about Social Impact Bonds. The PC party of Manitoba, under the leadership of Brian Pallister, is stating that socially progressive projects should be financed by way of private money through Social Impact Bonds. Social Impact Bonds (SIBs)are an idea that has started to emerge in Great Britain and apparently one project has developed in Saskatchewan. It’s a way of allowing private money to flow into projects and programs that meet a social need within the province.
When you think about it, the idea is hardly new and it has worked for many decades in Manitoba, in fact it has worked since the inception of Manitoba. Having people invest in much needed projects and facilities has been going on forever. Information taken right from their web sites shows there are very major examples in Manitoba.
“St. Boniface Hospital has been providing leadership in health care on behalf of Manitobans since it was first established by the Grey Nuns in 1871.”
“The Grey Nuns of Manitoba founded Ste. Rose General Hospital in 1939. Today, it is a 26 bed fully accredited rural teaching and acute care health centre. The hospital provides in-patient care in four specific areas: general medicine, pediatrics, detox and palliative care. Services are provided under contract with the Parkland Regional Health Authority.”
“Concordia Hospital was started in 1928 by a group of Mennonites who had immigrated to Canada from Russia. Seeing the need for health care in the growing immigrant community they started their first project, which was a four bed maternity hospital. This project would grow to become the present Concordia organization, which includes Concordia Hospital and Concordia Place. The blessing they had received by being able to immigrate to Canada motivated them.”
In more recent times, the Moray Street bridge in Winnipeg was built under a partnership of government and private money.
The NDP doesn’t like Social Impact Bonds and have stated so emphatically. They see them as an intrusion by private dollars into areas that they think should be held solely by government. The NDP don’t want any private investment in social projects.
But they are hypocrites as they are quite willing to use all the projects that have been privately funded, not the least of which being the three outlined above. They are more than willing to have the government funded capital projects bolstered by people donating millions upon millions of dollars to the hospital foundations and the local community foundations. The NDP also have no qualms about having groups and individuals finance everything from school equipment, to school lunches, to sports programs.
It boils down to the fact that they are hide bound to protect union jobs, no matter how badly quality or supply of services is affected.
Just look at what government control has given us. The stadium in Winnipeg cost twice as much as projected and it has serious design and construction flaws. The care home at Neepawa has had construction and design problems, it cost twice as much as projected and only provides 100 beds instead of the promised 120.
The idea of private money and private sector expertise being able to handle the capital and operational requirements of socially progressive projects and services has a long history in Manitoba. Rather than seeing SIBs as a new idea to be scorned, we should see them as a tried and true method of providing facilities and programs. The NDP are out of touch with reality and the sooner they change or leave, the better off we will be in Manitoba.
They aren’t showing any signs of changing so having them leave is our only hope for getting on with much needed projects and programs.
