SURREY – The B.C. Liberals’ latest announcement means yet another delay in resolving the ER crisis at Surrey Memorial Hospital, said New Democrats today.Jagrup Brar

 “A year ago, Health Minister Kevin Falcon and the B.C. Liberals promised to start building the much-needed Surrey Memorial expanded ER facility in 2010,” said Jagrup Brar , MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood. “But now construction will not commence for at least another year, because the B.C. Liberals are insisting on privatising the ER and the critical care tower.”

 Sue Hammell“Instead of putting shovels in the ground, the B.C. Liberal government is going to leave Surrey without the ER it needs for even longer, simply because they are insisting on privatising the project,” said Sue Hammell , MLA for Surrey Green-Timbers.

 “The end result is that patients needing emergency care in Surrey and their families will pay the price for the B.C. Liberals’ inflexible ideological views,” said New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston . “The B.C. Liberals’ delays also mean the government is failing to create jobs to help B.C. workers make ends meet.”Bruce Ralston

 Inadequate infrastructure is a key reason why SMH struggles to meet patient needs. The emergency room was built to serve 44,000 patients a year. It now serves 70,000. But last year Minister Falcon suggested that hospital overcrowding was caused by a high volume of South Asian patients.

“The minister, who is also a Surrey MLA, did not consider that the congested ER is the byproduct of his government’s chronic failure to renew SMH’s campus,” said Brar.

Falcon has admitted that taxpayers save money when governments choose to finance and build infrastructure through a traditional, public process. It is estimated that B.C. taxpayers saved $200 million when the government was forced to go back on their plans to privatise the Port Mann bridge.

 “It is absolutely critical for Surrey Memorial to be able to provide necessary care to one of B.C.’s fastest growing cities. By remaining wedded to privatisation model, the B.C. Liberals are costing taxpayers both time and money,” said Harry Bains , MLA for Surrey-Newton.Harry Bains

 Under the Liberals, B.C. has had the worst rate of full-time job losses, the second-worst performing economy, and highest level of child poverty in the country.

Bruce Ralston

Surrey-Whalley

Bruce Ralston was re-elected as the MLA for Surrey - Whalley on May 12, 2009. He was first elected to the Legislature in 2005.

Harry Bains

Surrey-Newton

Harry Bains was elected as the MLA for Surrey Newton on May 17, 2005, and then re-elected on May 12, 2009.

Jagrup Brar

Surrey-Fleetwood

Jagrup Brar was elected as the MLA for Surrey-Fleetwod on May 12, 2009. He served as MLA for Surrey-Panorama Ridge from Oct.

Sue Hammell

Surrey-Green Timbers

Sue Hammell was re-elected as the MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers on May 12, 2009 She was first elected in 1991, was re-elected in 1996 and re-elected