Hogan Court Deal - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : This morning, we heard in the Public Accounts Committee that not only will Nova Scotians be covering the capital costs incurred by Shannex and Hogan Court - including construction and mortgage costs - but we are also not requiring them to pay us for at least another two years. To me it sounds like the Premier delivered a great deal for Shannex instead of for Nova Scotians. Can the Premier explain, in light of this, how we can continue to insist that this was a good deal for Nova Scotians?

THE PREMIER « » : This is a good deal for Nova Scotians. I would double down, I would triple down, I would quadruple down, quintuple that - if I knew what was after that, I would do it as well, because this is a good deal for Nova Scotians. The system is the same as is in place for long-term care facilities in this province. More Nova Scotians will get in more appropriate care facilities a lot quicker under this deal. I'm very proud of this deal. I'll stand beside it every day of the week.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Saying it doesn't make it true. The concept of transitional care is good. This deal is bad. The project has been doomed from the start. This government's secret deal-making involving confidentiality agreements, roundabout negotiating, and a developer being in a "very advantageous position" to minimize the cost to acquire the property and maximize the cost paid by the province is clear.

Now history is repeating itself. The sale to Shannex was announced as a break-even for the Province, but we heard this morning that the Province won't get paid until 2026, at least, and the government has already allocated up to $20 million in spending for the Shannex project under an early works agreement. We're not getting paid; we're paying more.

It's hard not to notice who the actual winner is. For a government that insists on picking winners and losers, why won't he pick Nova Scotia as a winner for once?

THE PREMIER « » : The reality is that more Nova Scotians will get in beds with more appropriate levels of care a lot quicker - almost two years quicker. A hundred and seventy-eight beds. This is a good deal for Nova Scotians. The reality is that the NDP is negative on every single thing that happens in this Chamber. They were mad when we bought it, they were mad when we sold it, and they'll be mad about the next thing that happens in this province too.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Let's talk about timelines. When it was first announced, it was reported that this government wanted to open Hogan Court this year with 75 to 80 beds, and I'll table that. That was in 2023. The Bayers Lake facility was supposed to be completed by 2025 with 200 beds, and I'll table that. Despite the growing need and the urgency, Nova Scotians are now being offered at least 100 fewer beds and a timeline that is months if not years behind schedule, including a months-long pause where nothing happened while the government negotiated their way out of the mess they had created. My question to the Premier is: When will the people waiting for these 285 promised beds see them completed, and why are we getting less health care slower from this government?

THE PREMIER « » : The first patients could be moving in there by later this year, and that's a lot quicker than it would have been. I know that the NDP is against any arrangement where the private companies in this province are involved. I know they just disagree with working with private companies. We don't disagree with that. We see opportunities for Nova Scotians to get things done faster, more efficiently, and better for Nova Scotians. The NDP can be negative as much as they want on this, and the Liberals can pile it on private companies as well, but we work with whoever will get things done for Nova Scotia and we're proud to do it.