Norm Macdonald MLA                                Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

November 6th, 2008

Liberals admit that their healthcare plan has been a failure in Invermere

In a recent news story, prominent Liberals are quoted as saying that the Invermere & District Hospital is dysfunctional and that Columbia House needs more residential care beds, admitting that the restructuring of the healthcare system has been a failure in the community of Invermere.

MLA for Columbia River – Revelstoke Norm Macdonald agrees, stating that after nearly eight years of the Campbell Liberals’ healthcare plan, Invermere’s health services have been severely reduced; seniors without access to residential care beds, and moments of crisis in the emergency room.

Liberals are now claiming to have connections, and that they can call on those connections to give the hospital renovation the attention it deserves, but Macdonald says that this is a political pattern that people will not accept.

“The Minister of Health is fully aware of the situation,” declared Macdonald. “I’ve spoken with the Minister, raising the issues that have been brought to me by doctors and patients, but the Minister has done nothing.

“We’ve been told that there is an announcement coming about the Invermere hospital, but in keeping with the election cycle that announcement is being held back until closer to the election.”

Leading up to the election in May 2009, Macdonald predicts that there will be a number of promises made; promises to address long-standing issues that were initially created by Campbell’s cuts.

“It reminds me of the period leading up to the 2005 election where every time you opened the newspaper you saw another picture of then MLA Wendy McMahon handing out an oversized coroplast cheque.

“It is a cynical type of politics that I believe people in this area reject,” continued Macdonald.

Since his election in 2005, Macdonald has been clear that the role of an MLA is to be a strong voice in Victoria for the people of Columbia River – Revelstoke, listening to individual constituents and working on their behalf. 

“I believe that people in this area want true democracy where the government acts in the best interest of the people.  Cutting services to the detriment of residents and then dangling the promise of improvement just before an election is just not acceptable.  The people of Columbia River – Revelstoke deserve better.”