It's much too tempting to dismiss.
Whether you embrace the concept of building public facilities using a private, public partnership model, or not, the carrot that is dangled in front of major project designers is simply too enticing to be cast aside without serious contemplation.
We agree that offering federal funds for P3 projects while not offering them for traditionally built projects is inherently unfair, but we don't make the rules.
That's why those involved in the plans for a new regional nursing home in Estevan have to take a serious look at joining forces with a Weyburn committee that is wanting to get a big new hospital built in their city. Both have to be built under the auspices of the Sun Country Health Region.
To be eligible for federal P3 funding, a project must be valued at $100 million or more.
Alone, neither of these two projects qualifies. Together, they do.
If the feds are willing to come to the table with up to $20 million to help pay for the $80 million hospital and $34 million nursing home, the two cities would be utterly remiss not to at least entertain the idea of bundling the two programs together while dropping the traditional negative vibes that are usually emitted from these competing communities.
For once, the amalgamated kumbaya concept that has been questioned for years might possibly work. In this scenario, one city would not have to pit itself against the other for recognition by senior governments. They could actually work together for the common good, something the health district amalgamation experts had hoped would happen more than 10 years ago.
Whether P3 models are the wave of the future for construction of public facilities or not, will be argued by politicians for months to come. Good arguments can be mounted on both sides. We're not sure we embrace the concept of P3, but if the federal government is willing to tilt the playing field in favour of them for whatever reason, we might as well jump onto the winning side. There is no reward for fighting these windmills.
There are plenty of questions out there regarding the validity of P3 projects. We are firm believers in the old adage that there are no free meals and developing a project using a third-party to build, finance and partially manage a public facility, may only be delaying the inevitable. But then, when hasn't a politician enjoyed the prospect of kicking the financial obligation can down the road far enough that only the next generation of politicians and taxpayers are left with the pain of recovery.
So, at this point, we go on record as supporting the idea of bundling a Weyburn hospital and Estevan nursing home dual project into one package for the sake of picking up badly needed federal funds.
We may not like the unfair rules and there are many questions out there regarding the validity of P3, but if our senior citizens and patients can benefit by gaining badly needed new facilities a little more quickly and efficiently, we're all in.
As far as we can see, the only major roadblock at this juncture will be achieving some political momentum.
