By Bryan Eneas

Premier, Finance Minister discuss new hospital during P.A. visit

May 2, 2018 | 8:00 AM

Saskatchewan’s premier and finance minister reaffirmed their commitment to a new, provincially-funded hospital in Prince Albert during a visit to the city Tuesday.

Donna Harpauer, who tabled the provincial budget earlier this year, brought along Premier Scott Moe to speak with business leaders and members of the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon May 1. While Harpaur did the bulk of the speaking, explaining details about the recent budget, Moe reaffirmed the province’s commitment to fight against the federal carbon tax. He also weighed in on the Trans Mountain Pipeline dispute between B.C. and Alberta, calling on the federal government to use “every tool at their disposal” to push for the pipeline’s construction.

“That includes withholding infrastructure funding from [British Columbia],” Moe said, to the sound of applause, and said the federal government is doing the same thing to Saskatchewan because of province’s refusal to implement a carbon tax.

Moe also spoke about the possibility of a new hospital in Prince Albert, when asked by a member of the crowd. He said Prince Albert is next in line to see financial support in order to answer concerns about the existing facility.

“The timeline will be when we can afford it with respect to our infrastructure investment,” the premier said. “We have committed to not only to the funding of the Prince Albert hospital, but to the full funding of the Prince Albert hospital.”

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While Moe wouldn’t give a date as to when a funding announcement would be made, he said the project would be of the highest priority moving forward.

Harpauer said she believed a hospital in Prince Albert’s hospital will be Saskatchewan’s next major capital investment in healthcare.

The finance minister was also asked about comments made at last year’s chamber luncheon, where then-Finance Minister Kevin Doherty said a new hospital in the Gateway to the North could be built in the next two to three years. Harpauer said financial commitments to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford conclude this year, which should free up some funds.

“That helps in the next year because those are expenses that are coming off our books,” Harpauer said.

Prince Albert’s NDP MLA Nicole Rancourt, who also attended the event, said she was disappointed by the lack of any specific funding or plans to build the new hospital in Prince Albert.

“I hope [Moe] could be a man of a word, and it does happen, but I’d like to see an actual plan being put forward,” Rancourt said.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas