I am 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 aging 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. In Tamworth, we have a one off opportunity to get the health care needs of our community right, as the new facility must be able to cater for residents’ needs in the long term, and probably for the rest of this century.

The process needs to be thorough and mistake free before any construction commences.

Whilst constructive advice and expertise is welcome and encouraged, sadly the political opportunists who constantly carp and criticise are inviting a similar debacle to Bathurst.

Their campaign is unhelpful, and it is 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.

Peter Draper MP,

Member for Tamworth