There is no incentive to cut corners to satisfy the shareholders. Public services aren t driven by the quarterly statement. They don t lay off hundreds of needed staff to drive up the dividend, regardless of the impact on the service they provide. Public services are there to serve the public. It may seem obvious, but it s worth remembering.
Public services are accountable to the public.
If the situation changes a new hazard emerges public services can respond. As an example, when flying truck tires started killing innocent motorists on Highway 401, the Ministry of Transportation reacted appropriately by hiring 100 more inspectors to enforce the rules on truck safety. The flying tires stopped. We ve learned some things in the past year since Walkerton. One of the things we have learned is that contracting out important safety work has a price.