Listening to some of the questions and answers this evening, I wonder about this approach. We have heard forced growth alone is adding $15 million a year to the budget for health. Is there really an expectation that we are going to find, I understand that there is $3 million we need to find, for the deficits that were run by boards to the end of March 2000?
So are we really going to find that $3 million through these operational reviews? Or is it more likely that we are going to, if we are not prepared to fund the operations of the hospital boards, is it more likely that we are going to find that we are going to have to start cutting services?
The question I have is, rather than piecemealing this, why do we not approach this by saying the boards are running deficits now, if they are providing the services we expect, if they are meeting the standard of service? The Minister has said that there is an expectation, no matter what happens in their deficit recovery plans, that the boards are going to have to meet those standards of service.
Why not provide the funding that is necessary to bring the boards out of deficit. Use the results from the operational review to cause corrections where necessary, but recognize if all you are going to put into the program of health is $7 million when forced growth is $15 million, that you are in fact talking about changing the standard of program? Let us discuss where those standards should change, rather than trying to force boards to do the impossible.