4 ms·

In Australia often contracts between Government and a private-entity are declared commercial-in-confidence to prevent disclosure of information that could affec

by _AzMoo 6y ago

In Australia often contracts between Government and a private-entity are declared commercial-in-confidence to prevent disclosure of information that could affect the private entity. I wouldn't be surprised if this is common in the US as well.

microcolonel 6y ago
In Australia (and in Canada) the government's post office has been corporatized (in Canada, closer to privatized) in a way which tends to have it set postage such that it covers its own costs. The USPS is complicated in this respect, it is partially corporatized, but it often runs deficits.
- Ensorceled 6y ago
  Canada Post is still a Crown Corporation, as it has been since it was "corporatized" the early 80's; so "closer to privatized" doesn't really make any sense.
  - wolco 6y ago
    You have to understand the difference between a crown corporation and part of the government. A crown corp has government representives on the board. A crown corp could get funding from the government but it also could act privately and get it from profit. The books are not open the same way (annual review vs always accessible) Here is an article with more details. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1135699 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1135699 The point that they are now profit seeking private or not is true.
    - Ensorceled 6y ago
      I totally understand how Crown Corporations work, please do not accuse me of ignorance here. There is a massive difference between a Crown Corporation running as a for profit enterprise where any profits return to the Crown and a privately owned company, especially one that was "spun off" and privatized at pennies on the dollar.
nomercy400 6y ago
Protecting the rates and fines made through a bulk deal as 'affecting private entity' sounds a bit hypocritical as that same deal 'affects' that private entity massively in a positive way for being the only one with that big government-type of deal. Wouldn't you, as a taxpayer, like to know why that private entity got the deal, and how it is affecting society? In Europe we have this system where public deals above a certain cost are open for everybody. If you meet the requirements best, you win the deal. Problem with this system is that the requirements are rarely written down properly, causing half-baked solutions meeting bare minimums and extra costs to fix them. For example, that is why we Europeans are unable to produce proper governmental IT systems, or buy new trains that won't break down due to cold weather.

by _AzMoo 6y ago

microcolonel 6y ago

In Australia (and in Canada) the government's post office has been corporatized (in Canada, closer to privatized) in a way which tends to have it set postage such that it covers its own costs. The USPS is complicated in this respect, it is partially corporatized, but it often runs deficits.

Ensorceled 6y ago
Canada Post is still a Crown Corporation, as it has been since it was "corporatized" the early 80's; so "closer to privatized" doesn't really make any sense.
- wolco 6y ago
  You have to understand the difference between a crown corporation and part of the government. A crown corp has government representives on the board. A crown corp could get funding from the government but it also could act privately and get it from profit. The books are not open the same way (annual review vs always accessible) Here is an article with more details. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1135699 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1135699 The point that they are now profit seeking private or not is true.
  - Ensorceled 6y ago
    I totally understand how Crown Corporations work, please do not accuse me of ignorance here. There is a massive difference between a Crown Corporation running as a for profit enterprise where any profits return to the Crown and a privately owned company, especially one that was "spun off" and privatized at pennies on the dollar.

nomercy400 6y ago

Protecting the rates and fines made through a bulk deal as 'affecting private entity' sounds a bit hypocritical as that same deal 'affects' that private entity massively in a positive way for being the only one with that big government-type of deal. Wouldn't you, as a taxpayer, like to know why that private entity got the deal, and how it is affecting society? In Europe we have this system where public deals above a certain cost are open for everybody. If you meet the requirements best, you win the deal. Problem with this system is that the requirements are rarely written down properly, causing half-baked solutions meeting bare minimums and extra costs to fix them. For example, that is why we Europeans are unable to produce proper governmental IT systems, or buy new trains that won't break down due to cold weather.