Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley arrives at a campaign rally in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, May 11, 2023. Albertans go to the polls on May 29. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
RED DEER, Alta. – Alberta’s NDP says it would speed up construction on the Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion, its latest promise ahead of the May 29 election.
Michelle Baer, who’s a candidate for Red-Deer South, says residents in Red Deer and its surrounding area are sick of waiting for the expansion at the busy hospital after four years of delays by the United Conservative Party government.
She says the NDP would add $650 million in funding over the next three years to accelerate its construction.
The NDP says that money is in addition to what was included in the 2023 budget, for a total of $971 million over three years.
It says it would create a senior director of project management position, extend construction hours where it’s safe to do so and develop a transition plan to make sure needs are met during construction.
UCP candidate Adriana LaGrange, who’s running again in Red Deer-North, says the NDP had a chance to expand the hospital when it was in government and it’s the UCP that has prioritized the project.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.
