Parkland Institute fights for public services

Parkland Institute Executive Director Ricardo Acuña addressed the CUPE Alberta convention thanking delegates for CUPE’s continuing support, and making the case for its continued existence.

Acuña noted that when the Ralph Klein government privatized ‘everything they could get their hands on,’ they did so with wide public support.

“Two decades of the Fraser Institute, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Regan telling the public that civil servants were lazy had taken its toll,” said Acuña.

For that reason, Acuña said, CUPE and other organizations founded the Parkland Institute to start making the case for public services.  Since then, the Institute has had a very public voice with its studies making the case against privatization.

“Our most important success is that we are able to compete in the realm of ideas,” said Acuña.

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