Alternative balanced budget might postpone capital projects for another year
GILLIAN SLADE
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The Wildrose Party's promise to balance the budget if elected might mean another delay for Medicine Hat Regional Hospital's expansion.
The party's alternative budget, released on Friday, called for capital projects to be postponed one year in an effort to produce a balanced budget.
Capital projects already in progress across the province would be listed in terms of priority to take place over four and a half years, said Drew Barnes, Wildrose candidate for Cypress-Medicine Hat on Monday.
Where Medicine Hat's hospital expansion sits on that priority list is not clear yet.
"We would take a long hard look where everything sat on the priority list," said Barnes. "My goal would be to take our situation to (party leader) Danielle Smith to find out where we sat in relation to other infrastructure needs in the province."
Barnes says the party will publish a priority list before the election so that every Albertan will know where Wildrose stands.
"We will take the politics and game playing out of it," said Barnes.
Delaying a project that has already been committed to is not appropriate, countered MLA Rob Renner.
"Once a commitment is made, it is incumbent on the government to follow through with it," said Renner, who is retiring as an MLA and won't be running in the next election.
The PC government not bringing down a balanced budget was a deliberate strategy on two counts, said Renner. It was necessary to ensure Albertans had jobs during an economic slowdown and the need to address a backlog of necessary infrastructure.
Barnes says it is incumbent on the Progressive Conservative government to reveal exactly where the Medicine Hat hospital and the Dunmore Overpass is on their priority list at the moment.
"Are these two projects going to be done for sure on the 2012 priority list?" asks Barnes. "Three times already Medicine Hat has been promised an expansion of the hospital."
Barnes says the delays experienced with the hospital in the Hat shows the government has actually taken more than four and a half years to follow through on its promise, while the Wildrose is simply acknowledging up front how long it will take.
Delaying a project in order to balance the budget could result in higher construction costs at a later point, said Renner. Any potential savings from a balanced budget could be eaten up by increased construction costs.
The News was not able to reach MLA Len Mitzel on Monday afternoon for comment.