NDP Leader John Horgan brought his campaign to keep BC moving forward to Vancouver Island on Sunday, promising that a re-elected BC NDP government would continue progress towards building a new hospital for the Cowichan Valley.

“People in this region have waited a long time for the hospital they deserve, and under our plan that wait will soon be over,” said Horgan. “We have approved a business plan and are on track to have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility open in the next few years — delivering quality health care to people in their own backyard.”

The new hospital will be almost three times the size of the current one, with construction to begin next year. Horgan warned that health care projects like this would be at risk under B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s plan to hand $3 billion in tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations.

“The only way to pay for Mr. Wilkinson’s massive giveaways would be to cut health care or bring back medical services premiums—or some combination of both,” said Horgan. “In our first term, we eliminated expensive MSP fees on families while investing in new hospitals and care centres. I’m glad we’ve made progress, but I know there’s much more to do.”

Horgan was joined by Rob Douglas, the BC NDP candidate for Cowichan Valley, who noted that the valley’s population had more than doubled since the old hospital was built in 1967.

“Our region needs better health care, closer to home, now more than ever,” said Douglas. “After years of BC Liberal neglect, we are closer than ever to getting the new hospital we need. We can’t afford to put that progress at risk by going back to a government that puts those at the top before investing in our community.”