Value of P3 Projects - Question Period

CLAUDIA CHENDER: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. I don’t need to remind this House about what we have learned from using the P3 model to build highways and schools in this province: that the flawed approach has cost Nova Scotian taxpayers more in the long run; that transparency and how the projects are awarded and managed is virtually non-existent; and that we have a very poor track record in ensuring that developers are held accountable to those contracts. Mr. Speaker, I understand the requirement to spend $166 million to buy back the P3 schools this year but I want to ask the Premier: Will he admit that this was a bad deal?

THE PREMIER: I want to thank the honourable member for the question. All those communities that have schools that have been operating now for the last 30 years would consider it was a good investment by the people of Nova Scotia. The honourable member, when they had the opportunity of being in government, chose to do a P3 model but in the convention centre while our hospital was leaking down in the South End of Halifax, ignoring the very fact that our health care infrastructure hadn’t been invested in. We’re making the appropriate investments in our health care infrastructure not only here, Cape Breton Island, and across the province. We’ll continue to do that and use all kinds of options that make sense to deliver those projects on time when Nova Scotians need them.

CLAUDIA CHENDER: Mr. Speaker, this seems like an opportune moment to remind the government that they’ve had seven years to make the changes that we’re asking them about. References to previous governments, I would say, are fairly erroneous at this moment. When we question the rampant secrecy and mystery around the multitude of P3 projects from this government like hospitals, parkades, roads - things we need but which, given their timelines, things for which we need to be collaborative, creative, and forward thinking - we are told to trust the government. Just trust us. Mr. Speaker, I can list a number of reasons that the public would be nervous to hear “just trust us” from this government, especially in health care. ER closures, family doctor wait-lists, NSHA amalgamation, not to mention the Yarmouth Ferry debacle, and that’s just a few. Doesn’t the Premier agree that we need more transparency, more scrutiny, more public conversation around government spending, not less?

THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, I’m looking forward to the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board tabling her budget and have the debate on the spending as we do every year. We haven’t been sitting by for the last seven years. We’re making substantial investments in health care infrastructure. The honourable member was in Dartmouth when we opened the investment we made in the Dartmouth General. We invited her to the opening and she came in. The community was thrilled with government. It stood up and said: Finally, finally a government that has put out a long-term strategy and solution around our health care infrastructure, that deals with the entire province. No matter how much people are opposed to those investments on the floor of this House, this Party will stand with Nova Scotians and continue to ensure we invest in the appropriate health care structure that meets the needs of the next 50 and 60 years, and not be stuck in the past.

THE SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.