Notwithstanding their past votes against hospital projects in Fergus and Georgetown, Liberal MPPs voted Nov. 25 to support one of their own.
The legislature supported a resolution from Joe Dickson, the Liberal MPP for Ajax-Pickering, calling on the Ministry of Health to support future growth and expansions of the hospital in his riding.
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott was incredulous over the irony of the Liberals’ actions.
Just over a month ago, they voted down his similar resolution in support of the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus, as well as the Georgetown Hospital.
“The Liberal MPPs were totally inconsistent and highly partisan,” he charged.
“They supported Mr. Dickson’s resolution even though they defeated mine, saying at the time that hospital projects shouldn’t be brought forward as private members’ resolutions.”
Consistent with his own resolution, Arnott spoke and voted for Dickson’s motion. Setting party politics aside, he even congratulated Dickson for speaking up for the hospitals he represents, as he believes MPPs should do.
“Bring them forward, bring them up,” Arnott said, encouraging Dickson and other MPPs with hospitals waiting for approval from the Ministry of Health.
“We know that there’s a huge list of backlogged projects.”
Arnott also took the opportunity to once again follow up on his request on behalf of Groves and Georgetown hospitals, calling on the Minister of Health to meet with hospital officials to discuss their redevelopment plans.
“I thought it was important to make this request again, that she meet with our officials before Christmas,” he said.
“It’s an entirely reasonable request,” he added.
During a Nov. 16 meeting of the legislature’s standing committee on estimates, Arnott asked the minister directly to meet with them.
He earlier posed the question to the premier on Oct. 26 during question period, when he urged the premier to direct the Minister of Health to meet with local hospital officials.
“We’re going to keep fighting for our hospitals,” said Arnott. “That’s what my constituents expect, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
