"The new health facility, which has been designed to house both a health clinic and senior citizen’s home, is a vital project for the people of the Burin Peninsula," said Ms. Foote. "The current cottage hospital in Grand Bank is small, outdated and needs to be replaced. This facility was the first cottage hospital constructed in the province and is the only hospital of its type still being utilized in Newfoundland and Labrador. Discussions about the need to replace the hospital began 15 years ago when Bill Matthews represented the district as a member of the Peckford government. It was determined 12 years ago that the Blue Crest Seniors Home, which is home to people from all over the Burin Peninsula, needed to be either upgraded or replaced in keeping with the need for improved standards of care for our elderly and working conditions for those who care for them. It took a Liberal government to act on both accounts. Three million dollars has been spent on the new health care facility and the final tender package was ready to be awarded when the PC government was elected putting a halt to the awarding of the final tender.

"Mr. Williams committed to continuing with the new facility during the recent provincial election campaign. He is now using the provincial deficit as the reason for not living up to that commitment. Mr. Williams knew exactly what the deficit was during the election. The much talked about independent audit confirmed the number made public by the Liberal administration. The only difference in the final number was the decision by the PC government to include in the number a liability of $220 million for a program that will provide student loans for university students which the province had to take over because there was no other provider and our students couldn’t be left without support, and the unfunded pension liability for civil servants which we, as the Liberal government, had undertaken to include in our next budget. Mr. Williams and his finance minister were well aware of both of these matters during the election so the question remains why did Mr. Williams commit to continue with the new health care facility during the election and renege on that promise once elected? Is it possible this government is putting politics ahead of the health needs of the people of the Burin Peninsula?

"It is regrettable that the Premier made this decision without first consulting the people who will be affected. Then again if there was more representation from rural Newfoundland and Labrador in cabinet, hopefully Premier Williams would have been told of the need in rural Newfoundland and Labrador for improved health care services, not the reduction of such services.

"I ask the Premier to reconsider the decision to put this project on hold. We need more health care services on the Burin Peninsula, not less. If we truly want to grow the economy in our province, we must start with upgrading our services to encourage people to live in our rural communities. My fear is that given the decision to put a hold on the new health care facility, Premier Williams will also use the deficit to cancel the much needed cat scan the Liberal government approved for the Burin Peninsula," said Ms. Foote.