The Liberal government made many promises to Ontarians both during the election, and more recently in the May 2004 budget. Those promises have not been kept. It is now 2005, and we are approaching the time when another budget will be delivered. Will it be filled with empty promises, more tax increases, or will it contain cutbacks to nurses and hospitals and longer waiting lists for some types of surgery?

On Wednesday, the Ontario Legislature debated a motion that was brought forward by PC Party leader John Tory.

"That the Legislative Assembly call upon the government,

To ensure Ontario's hospitals are given adequate, stable, multi-year funding to meet the needs of patients as promised by the Liberal Party of Ontario in the 2003 election and again promised in the McGuinty government's May 2004 budget, and

That hospitals are provided with funding allocations within the first month of the fiscal year so they can properly plan to meet the government's deadline for balanced budgets by March 31, 2006, and

That no nurses will be fired as a result of budgetary constraints for the remaining term of office of the McGuinty Liberal government, and

That waiting lists for medical procedures in hospitals under any circumstance will not increase as a result of the Ministry of Health's approved balanced budget plans for hospitals.”

Hospitals play a vital role in our communities. The government has been putting roadblocks in the way of hospitals that are trying to address their patient’s needs. They have done this while not allowing those hospitals to properly plan for the future. The PC Party will continue to question the government about why it has no plan for health care.

In Lindsay, the Ross Memorial Hospital has worked hard to provide a high standard of care for the people of our community. They have been providing these services for just over 100 years.

In 2002 they began an expansion project to meet the growing needs of patients and their families. The expansion project is now complete. The emergency department has doubled in size and there has been an increase in hospital beds from 156 beds to 218. The hospital has increased in size from 186,000 square feet to 305,000 square feet. Today the hospital will officially celebrate their new and expanded facility.

Phase 1 included a new section for the Emergency Department, the Continuing Care Program Wing which provides Complex Care, Palliative Care and Rehabilitation, along with a new entrance.

Phase 2 included renovations to the former Emergency Department, construction of the new Mental Health Unit and new inpatient and outpatient units. The cafeteria was also expanded.

Many of you have had a chance to see some of the improvements that have been taking place. I have had a chance to be involved with the hospital for many years, and I know how much of an improvement this will be for both patients and staff. Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to make this expansion happen.