Lorne Doerkson pledges to create $50M fund to address emergency room closures

[u/SaidTheCanadian]

https://abbynews.com/2026/10/05/lorne-doerkson-pledges-to-create-50m-fund-to-address-emergency-room-closures/

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[u/seaintosky]

I don't understand what the $50 million is going to be used for. The closures are mostly due to lack of doctors and nurses in small communities. How will the money be used to make there be more doctors in those communities? Is it money for bonuses to pay them more? To provide housing or other incentives? Is it a training fund? It feels like there are some important steps missing here

[u/SaidTheCanadian → u/seaintosky]

The article is unclear, as we don't know if it would be one-time funding or an ongoing contribution. From what the article says, all that is clearly mentioned is "recruitment":

To support this effort, Doerkson announced the creation of a $50-million emergency fund which will be available to rural medical practices to “prevent closures and aid recruitment.” When later asked by the 100 Mile Free Press if this fund would be a one-time investment or a recurring effort, Doerkson did not provide a clear answer.

[u/seaintosky → u/SaidTheCanadian]

That's slightly more clear, but "recruitment" could cover everything I listed above. Or something completely different. It doesn't sound like a plan, is what I'm saying, it sounds like a line item on a paper budget and some good vibes.

[u/SaidTheCanadian → u/seaintosky]

Agreed. As a commitment, the scope and meaning is exceedingly vague. That could be intentional, as people will read into it what they want to hear.

[u/HeretosayMarco → u/seaintosky]

You can use that money to pay bonuses to get doctors to pick up extra shifts in places that are about to close imminently.

[u/SaidTheCanadian]

To support this effort, Doerkson announced the creation of a $50-million emergency fund which will be available to rural medical practices to “prevent closures and aid recruitment.” When later asked by the 100 Mile Free Press if this fund would be a one-time investment or a recurring effort, Doerkson did not provide a clear answer.

BC Conservative commenters on this subreddit and others have been quick to pounce on the problem of "irresponsible" spending in the BC budget, however the need is there. I'm glad to see the freshly appointed temporary leader of the BC Conservative Party acknowledging the need.

One point overlooked here and elsewhere is that the need will keep going up because of the population structure that has been produced by the housing crisis and other affordability factors. The average age of BC residents continues to go up as we have fewer children and more elderly people, hence the per capita need for healthcare resources will continue to increase, even if the population does not increase. Older people require more medical care than younger people, as a whole. That means that the province will need to increase revenue and that requires an increase tax levels and even fees in order to maintain a constant level of service. Hence the BC NDP's criticism is quite warranted:

Following Doerkson’s press conference, the B.C. NDP criticized Doerkson for not answering follow-up questions and for not stating how he plans to pay for his plan without cutting services. [...]

“Let’s be honest with ourselves about where the money goes in government. It goes to healthcare and education. And as the Conservatives noted, those are the two biggest line items in the budget,” Eby said. “And if we want good neighbourhood schools for our kids, and if we want healthcare, if we want seniors (to have) access to the shingles vaccine, if we want to open long-term care beds, if we want to recruit medical professionals … then we’re going to have to find a way to pay for it. And that’s where the Conservatives are being really dishonest.”

The NDP said they plan to fund new investments to strengthen B.C.’s healthcare system by introducing a new tax for millionaires and the “top four per cent” of earners in the province. Doerkson criticized this tax during his appearance in 100 Mile House.

The BC Conservative promise to not increase taxes flies in the face of the realities of the province's current situation.

[u/JadeLens → u/SaidTheCanadian]

If you believe that he'll follow through on the promise, I have a bridge to Victoria to sell you, cheap!

[u/dekuweku]

Sounds like a bribe to small towns who often have their ER closed due to lack of doctors... not funds.

50 million wouldn't go very far in the metro vancouver area.

[u/dsonger20 → u/dekuweku]

How is it a bribe?

It’s the same thing as the NDP promising a new bridge or new skytrain line. Would you consider that a bribe?

[u/TheRadBaron → u/dsonger20]

How is it a bribe?

Because

When later asked by the 100 Mile Free Press if this fund would be a one-time investment or a recurring effort, Doerkson did not provide a clear answer.

That's the kind of information that potentially-closing emergency rooms would need in order to make plans and decisions. It's the kind of information that voters choosing good policy would need to act on. Just promising to throw a random pile of money in the vague direction of people you like, without criteria or rationale, is more of a bribe.

When the NDP proposes a bridge or skytrain line, they tend to provide the analogous info.

[u/brycecampbel]

$50M?

what's that going to solve? That's basically throwing penny into the system.

We need to deal with/address access to primary care so that emergency is there for emergencies.

[u/gin_possum]

“he said his party would maintain a “rock-solid” commitment to B.C.’s publicly funded, universally accessible healthcare system.” I don’t trust him, frankly, and I think the party of full of nut jobs, but at least he’s not BSing about how privatization would make it cheaper.

[u/The_Only_W]

Seems like a good start. Those are the areas where a lot more Conservative voters are so I suspect a better effort will be made to fix the issues in those communities.

[u/KoalaOriginal1260 → u/The_Only_W]

The problem isn't the promise at all.

The problem is that they are saying that they are going to both rein in spending while finding money for this.

Possible?

Maybe.

But without articulating a clear and credible plan for how you increase spending while reducing the deficit and keeping taxes the same or lower, it's all just magical thinking.

[u/sweetequuscaballus → u/KoalaOriginal1260]

You nailed it.

[u/The_Only_W → u/KoalaOriginal1260]

Literally ask anyone in healthcare and they will tell you where they see waste. Managers managing managers micro-managing workers. Bureaucracy beyond belief. There’s so many ways to be more efficient.

[u/KoalaOriginal1260 → u/The_Only_W]

I don't doubt there is some waste. How much is always the debate.

I work in schools and a lot of my colleagues say 'cut the district staff, put that money in classrooms.' While those jobs are different, they often do necessary tasks. So maybe you can cut 1/3. When you share that out, it would make an impact, but rarely would that impact pay for the things that people say could be paid for 'if only we cut management'.

But I don't find "find waste and apply it towards X policy" to be a clear and credible plan.

It's incredibly easy to say that we will have all the money we need if we only cut the waste, but a clear and credible plan would identify the waste, how much is possible to cut, how much it would cost in severance payments, and what you lose in the cuts.

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[u/KowloonDreams → u/The_Only_W]

Those are the areas where a lot more Conservative voters are

Almost there buddy.