The NDP Government is getting kudos from a previous B.C Liberal health minister as they announce the expansion of Royal Inland Hospital is ahead of schedule.
The Patient Care Tower project was near and dear to former Kamloops North MLA, and Health Minister, Terry Lake, who welcomes news a final proponent has been selected.
“Well it’s very good news. EllisDon I believe is the proponent. You know, they’ve got a lot of experience. I didn’t like the outside colours in the diagram they showed, but who knows if that’ll be the final outcome. But its great news for the city. People worked hard on this, going back to Kevin Krueger, and of course I worked hard on it, Todd Stone worked hard on it.”
That said he adds, interior residents must pony up 40-percent of capital for hospital projects while Metro Vancouver residents don’t.
“And don’t forget that in Kamloops and everywhere outside of the lower mainland, local taxpayers pony up 40 % of this capital. Whereas in the lower mainland, that was supposed to go to transit and it hasn’t. And I think that was a real inequity that we failed to address, and that the NDP Government is failing to address. In fact, they’ve exacerbated it.” ”
He says the province made it worse by removing bridge tolls in the lower mainland.