Defending Quality Public Services
So what are Quality Public Services, anyway?
What do we mean by "quality public services"?
Quality public services bring us quality of life. They help keep us safe, healthy and secure. Social programs and benefits support us in difficult times: when we’re ill or unemployed, or facing economic hardship. They provide security in old age. Quality public services promote social equality and cohesion, and are vital to our prosperity and a sustainable environment. Quality public services: they’re the ties that bind us together.
What do we mean by "public services"?
Public services are the programs, services and infrastructure provided by governments to citizens, and paid for by our taxes. They are funded and delivered by various levels of government: federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal.
The water we drink, the roads we use, the public transportation we take and the mail that gets delivered every day are examples of public services in action. Education, environmental protection, border security, food inspection, police and fire services are also services at work for us. Health care, employment insurance, pensions for seniors, and more—we can count on public services to be there for us when we need them.
What do we mean by "quality"?
"Quality" in public services means services that:
- are universal and accessible.
- are properly and publicly funded and delivered.
- support the social goals of fairness, equity and eradicating poverty.
- respond to the needs of communities;
- respond to the needs of women and equity-seeking groups, and respect Charter rights.
- provide the foundation for a healthy economy.
- are democratic, transparent and accountable to the public.
- are provided by well-trained workers with full rights and the resources to do their jobs, and who are valued in service delivery design and decision-making.
What do we mean by "public"?
"Public" means that the services belong to the citizens of Canada. Threats such as privatization take away our decision-making power over the services we receive and pay for through our taxes. With privatization we lose control because there is little or no democratic accountability or transparency. Privatization also increases the foreign ownership of services, resources and infrastructure. It creates hardship for workers through lower wages and benefits, and less job security. It means tax dollars go to increase corporate profits instead of services. It’s up to all of us to protect quality public services—we have the final say.
Date Modified : 2010/01/29
