Hogan Court Purchase - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : In January 2023, this government bought an unfinished hotel for $34.5 million. Multiple consultants warned this government that the Hogan Court hotel was not suitable for a health care facility - I'll table that - yet this government doubled down, defending the project at every turn for over a year. Even when renovation costs surpassed $17 million and the Auditor General slammed both the decision and the process, the Premier said he would not apologize for investing in Hogan Court.

Now the government has a plan to sell and run from the boondoggle that is this hotel. My question is: Does the Premier still think the original purchase of Hogan Court by this government was a good idea?

THE PREMIER « » : One hundred per cent, one thousand per cent. I would double down, I would triple down, I would quadruple down because sometimes in government you have to take a step, you have to move forward, you have to create that momentum and inertia. This is a good thing for Nova Scotians, and I am proud that we are part of it.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Among other searing criticisms, the Auditor General's report found that this government had inappropriately awarded a nearly $70-million contract for the management of the Hogan Court facility without tender or a proper process. The same company will now be purchasing the hotel and it's been reported that "funding for construction would follow a similar model to what's used with long-term care homes." According to the Auditor General's report, and other folks, mortgage costs are built into the long-term rate model. I'll table that.

I'd like the Premier to confirm: Did we just sell this building to a private company and commit to paying their mortgage?

THE PREMIER « » : I think Nova Scotians know we need more beds in this province, and we need the appropriate level of care at the appropriate time. I remember the NDP being very negative on this situation and saying that we overpaid on this transaction - we paid too much, Speaker. That was their negative rhetoric of the day. Do you know who didn't think we paid too much? The market, when they paid even more and said we can take care of that, we can get those beds done for you. I'm very proud that they did.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : The market saw an opportunity to get a free piece of land and let the government pay their mortgage. Also in the Auditor General's report, the now-scrapped Bayers Lake transitional care facility was originally anticipated to be a 200-bed facility. Hogan Court was supposed to have 80. Now, despite overpaying millions for an unfinished hotel, paying a developer's tax bill, millions in construction and advisory costs, and now subsidizing a private company to run a new sector of our health care system, Nova Scotians are left with 44 per cent fewer beds than were planned and victoriously announced. My question to the Premier « » : Is this what the Premier means by more, faster?

THE PREMIER « » : It's a public-private partnership and it's a good one. It'll be more care and it will be faster. I will stand by this transaction every single day. We have to change the way we do things. The NDP, in their negative view of the world, they don't want anything to change, but we do because we want more care and we want it faster for Nova Scotians, and that's what we'll deliver.