Nova Scotia’s government projected the merger of 10 district health authorities into two health authorities would cost around $6 million, but the actual costs have exceeded $9 million in the fiscal year of 2014-15.
The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union obtained an access to information request that contained the shocking new figure.
PC Leader Jamie Baillie says the Liberals “withheld the real costs of the health merger” and says he believes they are now “cutting real services to pay for it.”
“Either they didn’t know the actual costs of the merger or they tried to hide it. It’s time for the Premier to tell us which it is,” added Baillie.
NDP Health Critic Dave Wilson says the Liberals “were warned it would create turmoil” and lead to unintended costs, and that’s “exactly what happened.”
According to the document, $5.7 million was spent on severance for various executives of the district health authorities and $3.3 million was spent on consolidating all of the IT systems from each district. Close to $900,000 was spent on consultants in mediation and communications.
H/T Global News
