Truro – Progressive Conservative Leader and Colchester North MLA, Karen Casey, is not buying the excuse from Truro-Bible Hill MLA Lenore Zann that there is not enough provincial money to fund the Truro Civic Centre now.

On behalf of Health Promotion and Protection Minister, Maureen MacDonald, Zann cited increased costs for a new hospital in Truro as the excuse for not honouring the committed timeline for the funding of the project.

“In November 2008 the former government made a $10 million commitment to the people of Colchester County that a new civic centre would be built,” said Casey from her constituency office.
The terms of the agreement clearly identified a payment schedule which would see final payments made by 2012.

“To say that there is not enough money when this government borrowed $81 million in 2009 to purchase land, is an insult, and I do not believe the people of Colchester County accept that,” said Casey.

Casey adds that the NDP government now has a one-year history when it comes to broken promises and a failure to meet commitments made by the previous government. She further added that putting pressure on the municipality will only result in Colchester and Truro taxpayers being forced to front the money until the NDP government makes a final decision on funding criteria.
 
“I certainly recognize that the resources of the province are limited, but I am disappointed that prudent decisions have not been made to manage those resources,” said Casey.

“To blame the decision on increased hospital costs is nothing more than an excuse. Poor decisions, such as purchasing land and borrowing money to pre-pay universities, only hurts the people of Colchester County, who believed all along that the cost sharing for the civic centre had been outlined in the terms of the agreement presented in 2008.”

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Michael Kydd
Public Relations Advisor
Office of the Leader – PC Caucus
902.424.4996 (o)
902.237.1965 (bb)
kyddma@gov.ns.ca