Duncan roasts NDP over Sask. Hospital funding

While much of the talk about the 2017 budget has focused on cuts, a major project for North Battleford continues to receive funding.

That is the $155 million for the new Saskatchewan Hospital/integrated correctional facility in North Battleford.

In defence of the budget in the legislature last Wednesday, Minister of Energy and Resources Dustin Duncan, who is the sitting MLA for Weyburn-Big Muddy, roasted the NDP opposition for failing to come through on funding for Sask. Hospital when they were in power.

“Mr. Deputy Speaker, $155 million to continue construction on the mental health hospital of the province of Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker. Where was the NDP on this?” said Duncan.

“I don’t think there’s many hospitals in this province that had to wait till they were nearly 100 years old to be replaced, except for the mental hospital in this province. And I think that’s a shame on the record of … the history of this province, Mr. Speaker, regardless of political stripe, regardless of party. It should not have taken 100 years.”

In the transcript from Hansard, Duncan pointed to the time period of 2004-05 when revenue hit $6.59 billion under the NDP government.

“And yet there was no money for the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford, for those truly in the shadows of life, to use the member from Riversdale for her moral test on a budget, Mr. Speaker. No money for that project from the members opposite,” said Duncan.

“So in 2004-05  … the members opposite had record revenue of $6.59 billion. They had no money for the mental health hospital in North Battleford. At that time it was like 95 years old, Mr. Speaker. No money for it. But they did, as a strategic priority, have $50 million per year for something called Investment Saskatchewan. Now I know the member from Prince Albert across the way gave a speech a couple of weeks ago that said we need more Crown corporations, so she’ll love this. The members opposite had no money in a year of record revenue, no money for the mental health hospital in North Battleford, but they had $50 million per year for Investment Saskatchewan for, ‘… commercial … opportunities with significant wealth and employment growth potential.’ Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we call that the private sector.”