[LabComm] Budget Surplus Achieved By Neglecting Seniors, Breaking Long-Term Care Promise, says James

[BC NDP NEWSWIRE]

Budget Surplus Achieved By Neglecting Seniors, Breaking Long-Term Care Promise, says James



(Victoria) - A significant portion of the budget surplus is the result of Gordon Campbell's broken promise to seniors on long-term care beds, NDP Leader Carole James said today.

James said that the BC Liberals promised to spend $682 million to build an additional 5,000 long term care beds by 2006. But, last week, the government admitted to having allocated only $100 million over the last four years to meet its promise.

"Gordon Campbell knew precisely how much it would cost to fulfill his promise to seniors - he put the number in his 2001 candidate briefing book," said James. "But he betrayed seniors and budgeted far less than was needed, adding over $582 million to the budget surplus while leaving thousands of seniors without care."

The Liberal promise to spend $136,500 per new bed is contained in the party's briefing book supplied to candidates in 2001, for a total of $682 million. 

James said that in order to meet its revised promise of 5000 new long-term care beds by 2008, tomorrow's budget will have to allocate more than $190 million to the construction and operation of new beds next year alone. 

"The broken long-term care bed promise, combined with high commodity prices and increased federal transfers, is the reason Gordon Campbell has a surplus," said James.

"Tomorrow's budget is the test of Gordon Campbell's truthfulness," said James. "I call on the Premier to provide provincial Health Authorities with clear direction to make long-term care for seniors a priority and to outline for Health Authorities an unequivocal financial commitment to do that. And I call on him to build the long-term care beds for seniors that he promised in 2001."

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