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Defrauded the electorate? Do your homework, Picardo told
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Plumbing works at the hospital has suddenly provoked a clash between Opposition member Fabian Picardo of the GSLP and health minister Yvette del Agua.
In a party political broadcast Picardo accused the Government of defrauding the electorate during the recent election. But Del Agua has retorted that Picardo should do his homework before bothering the general public with his self-interested politicking.
Picardo had taken the line that during the course of 2005 they had issued a press release stating that it had come to their attention that the plumbing at the Europort hospital was proving problematic and required wholesale work.
The GSD responded at the time, saying "that we were lying and that there had simply been a blocked drain at St Bernards," protested Picardo in the party political broadcast on Tuesday evening.
He added: Well, as you now know, barely 72 HOURS after the general election, the GHA announced that major plumbing works will have to be undertaken to the whole of the plumbing infrastructure at the Europort hospital.
He went on to say that "it was a campaign which effectively painted a fraudulent picture to the electorate."
But the minister has lost no time in responding, saying that Picardo's accusation "is based on his own ignorance and fabrication."
Del Agua explains: Works to replace certain water piping systems throughout the hospital under the contractors normal defects liability obligations have been openly under way for nearly four months before the election, and has been systematically proceeding throughout all the non clinical areas of the hospital.
She adds: The announcement after the election related to the fact that the ongoing programme of works was now reaching patient wards, which involved possible inconvenience to patients, and was thus issued by way of information for that reason.
"Like most of the GSLP's political attacks on the Government they are based on distortion, misrepresentation or ignorance of the facts. Mr Picardo should do his homework before bothering the general public with his self-interested politicking," said minister del Agua.
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