WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba Liberal Party is calling for the auditor general to investigate the Province of Manitoba’s plans to privatize two LifeFlight jets.
The service flies critically ill and injured people from remote areas to Winnipeg for care.
The province announced Thursday the jets will be replaced with privately-operated planes as early as this month.
The Liberals said in a release LifeFlight is essential because there are no fully functional intensive care units outside of Winnipeg and Brandon.
Dougald Lamont, the leader of the party and MLA for St. Boniface, said he has “very serious concerns” the privatization is putting Manitobans’ safety at risk.
“The Pallister Government is telling tens of thousands of Manitobans who live outside Winnipeg and Brandon that they are going to have to wait up to twice as long for an air ambulance that can no longer travel over bad weather,” Lamont said.
The Liberals said the party will formally request Manitoba’s auditor general launch an investigation into the privatization.
