It was a busy Wednesday for Saint John Harbour MLA Ed Doherty.
He stopped by three nursing homes within four hours to announce a combined $8.1 million over the next five years for renovations.
They are the latest announcements in government’s five-year nursing home plan unveiled in February.
“As you know, we have made fostering healthy aging and support for seniors one of our priorities,” Doherty said during the event.
The Liberals have come under fire for their slew of announcements ahead of September’s election.
Here at Kennebec Manor in #SaintJohn for the first of three nursing home announcements in the city today. MLA Ed Doherty is speaking at all three of them. pic.twitter.com/JS694dJKGp
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) August 15, 2018
Doherty was asked by reporters about the criticism and said they have nothing to do with the upcoming vote.
“With aging infrastructure, there’s got to be changes, and I feel very, very strongly that our seniors must be well looked after,” he said. “They made tremendous contributions to this country and we have to make sure that the facilities that they live in are state of the art.”
Doherty was also asked why he made three separate announcements instead of just one.
“Many of the people here are former patients of mine. It’s a chance for me to say hello and it’s a chance for me to say goodbye,” he said, referring to the fact he is not reoffering in September’s election.
Doherty has announced a total of $8.1 million for three #SaintJohn nursing homes. $1.9 million for Kennebec Manor, $2.9 million for Church of St. John and St. Stephen Home, and $3.3 million for Carleton-Kirk Complex.
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) August 15, 2018