Liberals have priorities backwards, says MPP Ted Arnott
Hospitals face financial crisis - casino gets cash

Standing up to support funding for hospitals, Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott challenged the priorities of the Government during Question Period in the Ontario Legislature on February 17th.

“We've seen the government announce on Valentine's Day, when the House wasn't sitting, a $400-million sop to lure more gambling addicts to the Windsor casino and shore up the political fortunes of the MPPs for Windsor West and Windsor-St. Clair. The government clearly has its priorities backwards,” he said in the House.

“Almost every hospital in the province is facing a financial crisis. The Palmerston hospital, the Mount Forest hospital, the Fergus hospital, the Kitchener-Waterloo hospitals, the Guelph hospital, the Orangeville hospital, the Georgetown hospital -- all of those hospitals needed a piece of that $400 million and they didn't get it. And today we read in the Toronto press that the Humber River Regional Hospital is being forced to push 100 service staff out the door, including staff helping kidney dialysis patients,” Mr. Arnott told the Legislature.

“What is the government going to tell these dialysis patients who will be inconvenienced and forced to wait longer for the health services they need to live -- that they should go to the Windsor casino?” he asked the Minister of Health.

In his response, the Minister expressed support for the $400 million expenditure on the casino.

“The Government is supposed to deliver priority services that people need. Health care is the top priority and the Minister demonstrated no compassion for patients in his answer. Putting casinos ahead of health care should make everyone question the priorities and competence of this Liberal Government,” Mr. Arnott said later.