Almost two-thirds of Canadians think private companies should be allowed to build infrastructure such as Ottawa's proposed light-rail project through partnerships with governments, a new survey has found.

The three-year survey was commissioned by the Canadian Council for Public-Private partnerships or "P3s", conducted by Environics and Research Group and released Monday.

It asked Canadians whether they think the public sector is keeping up with the demand for roads, schools, waterworks and other infrastructure, and whether public-private partnerships should be allowed to build each type of infrastructure.

The survey questioned 2,000 Canadians in September and October of 2004, 2005 and 2006 is considered accurate plus or minus 2.2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Some of the main findings of the study were:

• Eighty-seven per cent of Canadians agree that "Governments are having trouble keeping pace with demands for new or improved public infrastructure and services."
• Sixty-four per cent agree that, "It is time to allow the private sector to deliver these types of services in partnership with governments," up from 60 per cent in 2004.
• Support is strongest in Quebec (73 per cent) and weakest in B.C. and Ontario (57 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
• People are most supportive of partnerships for roads, hospital services and recreation, which were approved by 72 per cent of respondents.
• People are least supportive of partnerships to deliver water (55 per cent approval), electricity (58 per cent) and sewage (60 per cent).

Proponents say P3s free public cash for core programs

David McFadden, who is on the P3 council's board of directors, said the results are revealing.

"The overwhelming message in the survey is that the public, by a wide margin, supports the idea of private sector investment with the public sector in critical infrastructure in our country," he said.

According to his group's website, P3s "can provide much needed capital to finance government programs and projects, thereby freeing public funds for core economic and social programs."

Still no access to P3 rail contract for Ottawa mayor-elect

But critics say the projects and their contracts are often very secretive.

Mark Hancock is the regional vice-president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees in B.C., where the provincial government recently announced that all municipal projects worth $20 million or more must be vetted to see if they would work as public-private partnerships.

'When you enter into a P3, a lot of those decisions are made in back rooms, and the public really has no opportunity to: number one — have input; and number two — to see what the facts really are.'— Mark Hancock, CUPE

He said secrecy is the norm for such projects.

"There's no room for public scrutiny," he said. "When you enter into a P3, a lot of those decisions are made in back rooms, and the public really has no opportunity to: number one — have input, and number two — to see what the facts really are."

McFadden responded that no one says P3s should go unaudited and without performance requirements.

But in Ottawa, the city's proposed light-rail project is a highly publicized example of a P3 where the public has had trouble getting the facts.

The group of private companies' contracted to build the project, Siemens-PCL/Dufferin, have not yet released the agreement.

As of Monday afternoon, even mayor-elect Larry O'Brien still had not seen it.

Nevertheless, O'Brien has said he is in favour of exploring new public private partnerships in the future.