Build South Niagara Hospital Here And Now – Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

From the Office of Tim Hudak

NIAGARA FALLS, November 22^nd, 2013 – Only the Ontario PCs are solidly committed to building the new hospital in Niagara Falls that fits the bill of even the government’s appointed expert, says PC Leader Tim Hudak.

Inside Council Chambers at Niagara Falls City Hall, from left to right are Bart Maves, Ontario PC Candidate – Niagara Falls, Tim Hudak, Ontario PC Leader, Christine Elliott, Ontario PC Deputy Leader & Health Critic, Jim Diodati, Niagara Falls Mayor.

Joining the Leader this November 22^nd at Niagara Falls City Hall is the city’s Mayor Jim Diodati, Ontario PC Deputy Leader and Health Critic Christine Elliott, and local Ontario PC by-election candidate Bart Maves.

 “Our motion in the Legislature this week is for the House to finally commit to the Lyons Creek hospital location in Niagara Falls,” says Hudak. “This is where the hospital needs to be.

 “The debate in the House Monday will clearly show we stand on the side of Niagara residents in getting this hospital built — both now, and at this superior site.

 “The NDP’s position is putting this new hospital in huge jeopardy by selling the unrealistic notion that you can have it all – that you can have a new hospital and still keep the four others.

 “If you believe that (the NDP position), this hospital will never get built.”

The motion calls for the House to endorse the recommendation of Dr. Kevin Smith, the government-appointed Niagara Regional Health System supervisor to build the new hospital at the Lyons Creek location because, in Smith’s own words, “it doesn’t make sense to build a new South Niagara Hospital and keep the existing (four) sites open.”

 “With the help of the NDP, the Wynne Liberals have dragged their feet for 14 months on implementing Dr. Smith’s recommendations,” says Elliott. “It is time to find out why both parties refuse to endorse the plan of the expert the government appointed.

 “Dr. Smith’s recommendations, clearly stated, would save taxpayers $285 million in capital costs and $10 million annually in operating costs.

 “This is money that can be used to attract and hire more nurses and specialists,” says Elliott. “But this government won’t commit to anything that makes sense.”

As Hudak recently put it to the Legislature, the government has authorized a similar situation in Windsor where two hospital sites were consolidated into one, but is balking at doing the right thing for Niagara Falls without providing any reason.

 “Not only do we have the Liberals dodging any commitment, we have the NDP saying Dr. Smith doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and that choosing the Niagara Falls site, to quote them directly, is ‘preposterous,’” says candidate Maves.

 “I’ve been advocating for this hospital for seven years,” adds Maves, a member of the Niagara Regional Council. “It makes medical sense and it makes business sense.”

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