(November 2, 2022, St. John’s) – The Official Opposition is demanding proper time to study a massive, complex Healthcare Bill the Furey Liberals have rushed so fast that it was not even available for viewing by the opposition, the public, or health professionals less than 24 hours before the Liberals demanded debate.

The far-reaching Bill would eliminate the regional health authorities and the stand-alone NL Centre for Health Information, creating layers of new structures that do not align with the recommendations delivered by the Health Accord authors.

In the legislature on Wednesday, the PC Official Opposition brought a “hoist” motion to send the legislation to a review committee of the House for a more reasonable period of input from the Health Accord authors, professional health associations, healthcare administrators, and unions, and the general public.

“The Health Accord urged that an independent health quality council be created as an arm of the legislature to demand higher standards of care for the public, but with this Bill, the Liberals have rejected that in favour of something the minister and government can control and keep under wraps,” said Paul Dinn, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister of Health.

“The hurried Bill would also wipe out the regional health authorities without telling people how their local voice will be heard by the new people who will decide who gets care. If that doesn’t make people nervous in light of our healthcare crisis, then it ought to.

“The last thing our health care system needs right now is more chaos and confusion brought on by legislation that doesn’t even reflect the sound advice the Health Accord.”

Dinn said there is no excuse for the Liberals’ bulldozer approach. “The legislation is important and will have long-term implications. It is not even intended to take effect until April 1 of 2023, so why are the Liberals trying to ram it through the House now instead of letting people have a good look at it first? Our focus must remain on the immediate issues in our healthcare system.”

Dinn said that “in health care and others areas of public policy recently, the Liberals from the Premier on down are showing an arrogant intolerance for scrutiny and accountability, and passing bills just because they can. That’s not right for the people of our province.”

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Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Strategic Communications

(cell) 709-725-0984

DavidMaher@gov.nl.ca