Promised nursing homes renos won't proceed unless next legislature gives green light
Robert Jones | CBC News | Posted: July 25, 2018 9:00 AM | Last Updated: July 25, 2018
Just $9M of the Liberals’ $108M nursing home plan is earmarked for 2018
A parade of multimillion-dollar renovation announcements for New Brunswick nursing homes that have been made by the Gallant government this year, are mostly unfunded and will not proceed unless the next legislature agrees to the projects and finds money to pay for them.
It's a catch that sank a number of big commitments made to voters prior to the last election.
"They can promise the moon 10 years down the pike, but that's just silliness," said St. Thomas University political science professor Tom Bateman.
"It is kind of contemptuous of parliamentary democracy because this parliament cannot bind another one." said Bateman.
$108M over 5 years
In February, the Gallant government announced a $108-million plan to renovate several dozen New Brunswick nursing homes over a five-year period. But in its budget it allocated only $9 million for work this year, leaving $99 million of the plan to the next government to deal with.
Still, despite the limited funds it did approve, government ministers have since announced 22 nursing home renovation projects around the province worth $51.6 million — nearly six times what this year's budget can actually pay for.
The announcements do not specify which of the nursing homes will be funded this year, but the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care Lisa Harris acknowledged many that have been announced will not be proceeding right away.
"They know it's a five-year plan. We're not leading anybody down a rabbit hole here saying everything's going to be done this year," said Harris, who defended announcing specific projects before funding has been approved by the legislature.
"I don't think its misleading at all. It's a five-year plan and letting these homes know that this money is coming — I think that they want to know," said Harris.
But voters have been promised major funding for projects in advance of elections before only to see government take a different direction later.
Prior to the 2014 election, New Brunswick Liberals made three significant multi-year financial commitments, none of which were honoured as written, including promises to spend $62 million over four years on enhanced daycare subsidies; $59.6 million over four years to reduce taxes for those looking after seniors and other dependent adults at home and $120 million over five years to create 6,000 new daycare spaces.
All three promises were later modified with funding significantly reduced and the multi-year timelines abandoned.
Courting the senior vote
Mount Allison University political scientist Mario Levesque said promises to seniors are especially popular during election periods but not always reliable.
"Everybody knows seniors vote and they vote in the highest quantity so no doubt this is behind their announcement calculus on that topic," said Levesque about this year's nursing home renovation announcements.
"People have to get informed on the issues in terms of when the spending is to occur and how it will occur and most people don't and the government can kind of play with that."
Harris said the nursing home announcements have been well received by the institutions and their residents, and she is convinced they will be fully honoured after the election if the government is re-elected.
"What excitement that they know this is going to happen," she said. "The department is going to work with them to see how we're going to go about getting things done and start the planning process so that we are able to start the work as soon as possible."