Despite past vote, Legislature supports Liberal MPP’s hospital motion

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2010

Despite past vote, Legislature supports Liberal MPP’s hospital motion
(Queen’s Park) – Notwithstanding their past votes against hospital projects in Fergus and
Georgetown, Liberal MPPs voted yesterday 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 Mr. Arnott’s very 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,” charged Mr. Arnott. “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, Mr. Arnott spoke and voted for Mr. Dickson’s. Setting party
politics aside, Mr. Arnott even congratulated him for speaking up for the hospitals he represents, as he believes MPPs should do.

“Bring them forward, bring them up,” Mr. Arnott said, encouraging Mr. 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.”

Mr. 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 November 16
meeting of the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Estimates, Mr. Arnott asked the Minister directly to meet with them.

Mr. Arnott earlier posed the question to the Premier on October 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 Mr. Arnott. “That’s what my constituents
expect, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
– 30 –

Attached: Ontario Hansard records

Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org