Falcon would halt second Surrey Hospital, says NDP

THE NDP pointed out on Monday that as the B.C. NDP government takes the next big step to build a new Surrey Hospital in Cloverdale, B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon has made it clear he would halt construction, once again putting the brakes on the project.

“I think the challenge, quite frankly with the NDP wanting to put one in Cloverdale, is it’s not a great location,” Falcon said on Radio Red FM in February. “I would want to take a hard look at where it’s located.”

The NDP noted that this would be the second time Falcon halted a second Surrey hospital. When Falcon was Finance Minister, he announced in his budget speech that land set aside for a second hospital was “surplus” and he would put it up for sale. The land was later sold to a BC Liberal donor for $3 million less than it was worth.

The $1.66 billion hospital project is the biggest provincial capital investment in a healthcare project in B.C. history, the NDP said.

NDP MLA Mike Starchuk said: “Kevin Falcon would take the second hospital out of Cloverdale and set back progress on this project for years. Surrey families deserve a government that’s working for them. We’re committed to getting the job done.”