The NDP leader's tour returned to the Battlefords for the second time in less than a week Oct. 19, as opposition leader Dwain Lingenfelter pledged his support for mental health.
Speaking at an afternoon news conference at the offices of CUPE in downtown North Battleford, Lingenfelter and Battlefords MLA Len Taylor stood to announce the NDP was committed to both the building of a new Saskatchewan Hospital as well as to community-based mental health initiatives.
The policy announcement did not cover any new territory as the NDP has been vocal for some time in support of a new Saskatchewan Hospital and stepped-up mental health initiatives.
Last Wednesday, Lingenfelter committed to "rebuild the province's only major mental health hospital in North Battleford and we will commit the capital dollars needed."
They are also committing to 120 community mental health beds -- 40 acute-case beds and 80 step-down beds for clients ready to be discharged, but not ready to live completely on their own.
As well, the NDP is committing to develop a new strategy for mental health services in Saskatchewan, committing $45 million over the next four years towards new approaches and additional services in early counselling, crisis interventions services and the development of primary mental health care teams.
Also at the announcement was Cut Knife-Turtleford NDP candidate Bernadette Gopher as well as various mental health care workers and several other party supporters.
The announcement means all three of the main parties seeking election in the Battlefords - the NDP, Liberals and Saskatchewan Party - have now made pledges supporting replacement of Saskatchewan Hospital.
In August, Premier Brad Wall announced commitment of $8 million to detailed design over the next year for a new Saskatchewan Hospital, followed by bid tenders and the commencement of construction no later than 2013. He also gave assurances there would be no holdup in advancing the approximately $100 million for the project to Prairie North Health Region when it proceeds to construction.
The NDP has attempted to gain some traction by claiming the government's August announcement of a new Saskatchewan Hospital is not set in stone because there is no firm capital commitment in the provincial budget.
"A question to ask them is where is the money to build the hospital, because I haven't seen that yet," Lingenfelter told reporters. "It's simply not appropriate to announce you're going to build the provincial hospital, and say we've allocated the money for planning, but we're not putting any money in the budget to build it."
Lingenfelter insisted his pledges on mental health care would come to fruition at an estimated cost of $200 million out of the existing funding for structures and buildings in the health budget.
"This is a very important commitment to the families in Saskatchewan," said. "The hospital we are going to build in the Battlefords is for all of Saskatchewan."
As well, the 80 transition beds will "go a long way to meeting the needs of families."
"Twenty percent of all Canadians will at one point in their life suffer from mental issues where they need some help. The problem is less than half of people ask for or receive help, and what we are trying to do is set up a system through education, but also talking openly about those issues - that people aren't afraid or embarrassed to come forward and get the help they need."
The NDP leader also defended his party against mounting Saskatchewan Party criticism over the cost of his election promises. At a news conference the day before in North Battleford, Wall raised the spectre that an NDP government would either run a deficit or make cuts.
Lingenfelter responded that the remark was interesting "coming from a government that has ran a deficit," as he put it, the "last two years." He pointed to the Saskatchewan Party "spending the rainy day fund" to balance the books.
The NDP leader said his party's platform would fit into a balanced budget every year without any tax increase for businesses or families over that four-year term.
The other two parties fighting the election in the Battlefords have been quick to dismiss the NDP's stance on mental health care, with the Saskatchewan Party making their own thoughts known even before the NDP tour arrived.
The day before the Lingenfelter announcement, Wall reiterated the Saskatchewan Party's commitment to build a new Saskatchewan Hospital and begin construction no later than 2013.
"This project will get done. I'll stack up our record of keeping the promises we made in the last election against the NDP any day of the week," Wall said.
The Liberals issued a press release during the first week of the campaign hammering the NDP on the mental health issue, and were at it again after the latest NDP announcement.
In a statement issued last Wednesday, Liberal leader Ryan Bater took aim at Len Taylor again for failing to get construction of a new Saskatchewan Hospital going while in office.
"My question to Len Taylor is simple," stated Bater, who is running against Taylor in the Battlefords. "In 2007 you were minister of health, the member of the government in the best position to fix this problem. Why did you not direct officials to have shovels in the ground before the election? That's what leadership would have looked like."
Bater added, "both Dwain Lingenfelter and Len Taylor were members of the government for years, in Len's case as minister of health, and have little to show with regards to making mental health a priority. Why should we believe it would be any different if they are given yet another chance?"
