VICTORIA— Christy Clark’s health minister cut nearly 100 local jobs and put the health and safety of his own community at risk to outsource hospital laundry services to a big B.C. Liberal donor, say B.C. New Democrats.

“Christy Clark shows time after time that she only looks out for her friends and insiders,” said Michelle Mungall, New Democrat MLA for Nelson-Creston. “Her health minister has just cut local jobs in his own community and handed a 20 year contract worth millions of dollars to his friends at EcoTex Linen with higher costs to B.C.’s health system. It’s like he’s punishing these valued healthcare workers and minimizing their important roles in favour of looking after B.C. Liberal friends.”

The Christy Clark government awarded a 20 year deal to EcoTex Linen service to do laundry for hospitals in the Interior Health Authority. This is the same EcoTex that has donated more than $125,000 to the B.C. Liberals since 2005.

“In 2004, the B.C. Liberals embarked on the largest mass firing of women in Canada’s history when they handed pink slips to nearly 9,000 health care workers,” said Judy Darcy, New Democrat spokesperson on health. “Their choice to favour large corporations over local communities has continued over the years, and continues today as they eliminate another 100 well-paying, family supporting jobs.”