Flin Flon MLA Clarence Pettersen delivered the following statement in the legislature on Nov. 5:
Mr. Speaker, I ask you to consider two different numbers when it comes to northern health care: $4 million versus $8 million.
On the surface, one definitely sounds better than the other, doesn’t it? Except our government just invested $4 million, and $8 million is how much the Conservatives cut from northern health care the last time they were in government.
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition’s former Conservative government cut $1.9 million from the Flin Flon General Hospital alone. We have consistently taken a different approach, with planned upgrades to three health care and senior facilities in Flin Flon this year.
Recently, we brought the north Telestroke, as well as the EMS facility in Flin Flon. Now the Flin Flon General Hospital will receive $2 million in upgrades to its emergency power system and operating rooms.
We’re not stopping there. Planning is nearly complete on a major project to expand and redevelop the emergency department and admitting area.
We are also investing in Flin Flon’s seniors’ facilities. Upgrades to the Flin Flon Personal Care Home will include a new sprinkler system for improved fire safety, along with kitchen renovations. Northern Lights Manor will receive needed improvements to its kitchen, as well.
We know from experience that the Conservatives make very different choices. The Leader of the Opposition’s former government tried to privatize homecare, cut homecare services, and experimented with home user fees.
We said no to that. Instead, we continue to invest in home care, supporting housing and other supports to help seniors stay in their homes longer.
If you think $8 million is bad, try $550 million in across-the-board cuts. That’s what the Opposition Leader is pushing for – which would mean firing nurses, just like they did in the’ 90s, and closing rural operating rooms.
Our health, our seniors, our north. These are the kinds of things our government believes in – not cuts to the services we all count on.
