If Ontario restructures…

If Ontario restructures water infrastructure, taxpayers should not be left holding public debt while revenue streams and control move into semi-private or arm’s-length entities. Any model involving corporatization or privatization must guarantee local public ownership, democratic accountability, transparent governance, and full transfer of liabilities alongside assets.

Australia’s experience shows how water reform and corporatization can gradually separate essential public resources from democratic accountability. Once water systems become financial assets, pressure shifts toward revenue extraction, rising user costs, and investor returns rather than long-term public stewardship.

Water is not just another commodity. Decisions about access, pricing, and infrastructure should remain accountable to the communities that depend on them, not primarily to financial interests.