NDP Leader Howard Hampton wants to know why Dalton McGuinty
is ignoring the people of Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie by building private money P3 hospitals that will divert money from patient care to corporate profits.

This weekend, the Sarnia-Lambton and Sault Ste. Marie Health Coalitions held community-wide plebiscites asking local residents if they wanted a new hospital that is 100 per cent publicly funded, financed, owned, administered, and operated.

“The people of Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie have delivered a clear message. Over 96 per cent voted in favour of a publicly financed hospital. They want their precious health care dollars going to more and better health care -- like more doctors, more nurses and more medical procedures – not corporate profits for Bay Street,” Hampton said.

The NDP Leader called on the premier to respect municipal voters by respecting the results of the recent community plebiscites in Sarnia and Sault Ste. Marie.

“Will the premier listen to the people -- and build the first-class publicly financed hospitals people in Sault Ste. Marie, Sarnia and across Ontario need and deserve – or is his pledge to stand up for Medicare just another broken promise?” asked Hampton.

Before the election, McGuinty said: “I′m calling on Mr. Eves to halt any contract signings when it comes to P3s. I stand against the Americanization of our hospitals.” Since then, the McGuinty government announced P3 hospital projects for communities including Ottawa, North Bay, Woodstock, Niagara, Halton, Mississauga, Sudbury, Hamilton, Barrie, Kingston and Toronto – that despite independent studies showing Brampton′s private money P3 hospital cost taxpayers $175 million more than a publicly funded hospital.

Hampton called on McGuinty to move forward with hospitals that are 100 per cent publicly owned, publicly operated and publicly funded – without delay – and invest the savings in more and better public health care for everyone.