VICTORIA – B.C. Liberal MLA Donna Barnett’s vote to legislate the working conditions of B.C. paramedics last week breaks a promise she made during May’s election campaign, the New Democrats say.

Barnett told paramedics in the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding that she would support their Bob Simpsonright to negotiate a fair collective agreement, yet she refused to back that up during the marathon debate on the paramedics’ contract last week.

“This is just one more example of a B.C. Liberal making election promises she never intended to keep,” said Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson .

“Ms. Barnett voted to impose a contract on the paramedics. That’s a direct contradiction of what she said during the campaign,” said Simpson.

Barnett told the 100 Mile House Free Press on April 14 that she supported the paramedics’ right to bargain and praised their work.

Simpson said the about-face is just the latest example of Barnett supporting the Campbell Liberals over the wishes of her constituents.

“The people of the south Cariboo are intimately aware of the problems facing the ambulance service and they know that improving the ambulance service means supporting the paramedics.

“Ms. Barnett told voters during the campaign that she would be the Cariboo’s voice in the B.C. Liberal government, not the other way around. With her votes on the weekend, she is showing once again that she’s more concerned about keeping the B.C. Liberals happy than she is with fulfilling the wishes of her constituents.”

Barnett has also praised the B.C. Liberals’ HST in the legislature, despite telling her local media that she had some concerns about it.

Simpson will be meeting with ambulance paramedics in Quesnel Thursday and Williams Lake Friday.

Carole James and the New Democrats have been holding the B.C. Liberals accountable for breaking their word on the HST, and for backtracking on their election promises to protect health care, education, and other vital services.