In the past, Mr Draper has been critical of The Leader for its questioning the State Government’s commitment to the project.

In a letter from Mr Draper published in The Leader on June 20, 2008, he said he was “becoming increasingly concerned by the campaign of instability being waged by the National Party and some sections of the media against the construction of a new hospital in

Tamworth”.

“The National Party’s candidate for the 2007 election ran on a platform of putting a $15 million bandaid on the ageing facility, while I committed to have a new hospital built.

“Harsh lessons should have been learnt about the health bureaucracy’s bungles in recently constructing a new hospital in Bathurst.”

Mr Draper continued to say the National Party campaign had been unhelpful and was “making my job of delivering the new facility increasingly difficult”.

“If they truly have the community’s interests at heart, the attacks should stop so the appropriate processes can be

completed.”