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Petition
Presented December 1, 2008
Long-term Care Facility for the Conception Bay North
Area
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MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand today to present
another petition with reference to a long-term care
facility for the Conception Bay North area. I want to
explain, Mr. Speaker, when I say the Conception Bay
North area, it also takes in the south side of Trinity
Bay and all around that particular loop.
Mr. Speaker, we know that
last year the minister, in his good judgement, through
the Department of Health and Community Services, asked
government for $1 million to see that this project would
proceed. This year he announced a million dollars for
two different facilities here in St. John’s. Mr.
Speaker, I stand on behalf of the people who signed this
petition and I have several petitions, let me assure
you.
It was good today to hear
the minister refer to this government being prudent, how
they have their departments review issues, and how they
do not hide behind reports. I will go along with all
that, Mr. Speaker, but I say to the hon. members
opposite, when it comes to this report, I ask them to
really give it consideration. It is a serious situation.
We can bicker back and forth all we want, but the
residents of that area have spoken out. The
professionals have spoken out about the facilities.
I am not saying that
should be taken from Carbonear and built in Shearstown
or Bay Roberts; that is not the issue. I do not care
where they build it; the people in that area deserve a
new facility. It has been recommended; it has been
suggested by the professionals that that would be done.
Mr. Speaker, I am just
calling upon the hon. members - there are three
ministers from that area – that this year they would
give it serious consideration, to ask government, when
the Budget comes down this year - and I hear my hon.
colleagues, they give it serious consideration every
year. That may be true, but when you know that you were
at the top of the list back in 2001, another report in
2007, and there are five other facilities that have been
built throughout this Province, I would say that we are
far from at the top of the priority list now.
I just ask government and
the hon. members for that area to consider it and put it
before the government again this year for consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker |
