Government finally releases list of hospital project proposals

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2010

Government finally releases list of hospital project proposals
(Queen’s Park) – After months of delay, the Government of Ontario has finally released the list of
hospital project proposals from across the province. In May, after receiving no answers from the
McGuinty government, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott filed a Freedom of Information
request.

“Finally we have lifted at least some of the secrecy surrounding Ontario’s hospital proposals,” said
Mr. Arnott. “But there’s no excuse for delaying the release of this list, which it appears they had all
along.”

The list shows 130 hospital proposals from across Ontario. However, it fails to provide all the
information Mr. Arnott requested, including the status of the proposals and their estimated cost.

“Many of our questions remain unanswered,” he said.

Mr. Arnott initially requested the list of all Ontario hospitals with construction and redevelopment
proposals, the status of the proposals, including estimated completion dates, the estimated value
and the date on which the proposals were submitted.

Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus appears to be represented amongst the 130
proposals on the list. It shows a proposal as submitted in January 2008, with an estimated
completion date of September 2012. The list gives no indication as to whether the Ministry is
actually prepared to support the hospital in order to move forward with planning or when actual
construction might commence.

Mr. Arnott intends to appeal to Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario in an effort to
compel the government to release all the information he requested.

“We need Liberal MPPs John Wilkinson, Liz Sandals, and Kevin Flynn to speak up in support of the
Groves and Georgetown projects,” said Mr. Arnott. “Each of them has good reason to give
constructive support, and our communities need their advocacy as well.”

Speaking yesterday in the Legislature on the need for good government, Mr. Arnott again called
attention to the Groves and Georgetown hospital proposals and the need for the Minister of Health
to move ahead on those important proposals.

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Attached: Hospital capital project list and letters of appeal

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