News Releases    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2003

Royal Ottawa sale must be stopped; last despicable act of a dying government, says OPSEU

Toronto - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), says the government is acting unlawfully and in contempt of the democratic process in rushing to sell the Royal Ottawa Hospital to a multinational corporation as expected today.

If the Conservatives go ahead today with a deal it is proof the government knows it is going to lose, said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. “This is a desperate act of a government that is utterly in contempt of the democratic process and the courts. They are going to be kicked out, and this kind of action shows why they deserve to be kicked out.”

OPSEU, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Ontario Health Coalition this week asked the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to rule on whether the sale contravenes the Public Hospitals Act.

“The evidence we have from the privatization of hospitals in the UK shows there are often cuts to services for patients, deteriorating working conditions, seriously flawed facilities, and costs for taxpayers that are 2-3 times more than for hospitals built in the traditional way,” said Marlene Rivier, President of OPSEU Local 479 at the ROH.

“It is offensive that this government in its last gasp is trying to tie the hands of a future government in a multi-million dollar sell off, and pre-judging not only the will of the voters but also the pending court action,” Casselman said.

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For further information, please contact:

David Cox, OPSEU Communications, 416-788-9197