The leader of the provincial NDP says the SaskParty government is choosing optics over quality and value.

Ryan Meili accuses provincial officials of ignoring red flags about the roof on the new Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford.

The opposition leader says documents from Sask Builds and the Saskatchewan Health Authority obtained through freedom of information requests stated warnings about the facility’s roof plan but claims the government pushed the project through.

Meili says their priority was the positive publicity from the grand opening over making sure the construction plan was sound.

The roof is being replaced with the contractor picking up the cost. The 407-million dollar psychiatric hospital that opened in March also had a water problem as there was a temporary stop-drinking advisory.

The leader of the provincial NDP has called for an end to P3 projects like at the Saskatchewan Hospital saying they lack transparency.

Meili feels the government should overhaul its public construction policy saying the current plan generally doesn’t get the best deal for Saskatchewan residents in terms of value and quality.

He also accuses the government of contracting out work to out-of-province firms who bring in materials from outside Saskatchewan.

Meili says it’s unfortunate the staff and patients at Saskatchewan Hospital have had to suffer when the roof issue could have been prevented.

The provincial government has ordered a full audit to review construction at the facility.

(CJWW)