Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Coming from the EDF thread, it has made me wonder if we should go back to nationalised industries that supply essential services rather than private corporations - what do you think?

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Yes they should. People always holler it would cost too much but each company has a limited length contract so at the end of the contract just don't renew and there it is back in public ownership. No payouts to anyone.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

That's what I think Julie - all the profits would go to government (and hence to us) and, I may be wrong but, I would trust the government to run these industries more than I would a commerical enterprise where profit is the motive and that hasn't always proven to improve service or supply.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Yes, definitely!
Power, transport, education and health should be regarded as universal social services paid for by our taxes with nothing siphoned off for private profit.
I worked for 35 years in the public sector (local government) and was often dismayed and frustrated by the bureaucracy and inefficiency, however, no matter how bad local government was, it could not compare to the 10 years I spent in private industry for inefficiency, nepotism and sheer stupidity so there is no way that public ownership could be worse than private.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

I tend to agree with you Mick - my Nan used to say that 'when greed comes before need, it will end in tears' (granted she was talking about me stating I 'needed' this, that and the other when I didn't, I just wanted it) but it seems very appropriate nowadays when you hear about people being too afraid to put the heating on or, even worse, dying from cold-related illnesses.

Do you think the day will come when it could all be nationalised again? Think of the jobs that would create! I also heard that EDF (which prompted this thread as well) has put its own members into Parliamentary bodies to ensure that it gets the results it wants - not sure how true that is though but it sounds about right for commercial entities.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

I would like to think so but I won't be holding my breath. Unfortunately big business has such a hold over everything nowadays (including politicians and the press) that it will almost take a revolution for anything meaningful to change.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Have you ever watched the TV series Continuum? It painted a view of life where the commercial world overthrew the governments and ended up running societies - bit of a grim picture.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

water here has gone up 50% in 2 yrs, electricity and gas aren't far behind, and some people are on restricted supplies, it was cheaper for me to drive to work than catch 2 buses for a week when I worked, privatisation was s'posed to bring prices down cos of competition but it's gone the other way with price fixing etc, and the execs of these companies pay themselves more than our pollies , rich get richer etc

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Utilities should never have been privatised in the first place. There can be is no real choice or competition when you don't have any control over who owns the pipes which bring the water to your house or cables which provide electricity, privatisation was all a nonsense.

Re: Should Essential Services Be Government Owned?

Depends if there is real competition. If there is then private enterprise is far more efficient if there is not then the state should own/run it.