Government’s about-face on the closure of the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre drew recrimination as well as congratulation in yesterday’s Parliamentary debates.

The possible privatisation of the facility sparked accusations of “union busting” from Opposition MPs who noted that staff wouldn’t have to abide by collective bargaining agreements.

And Opposition Leader Marc Bean called Premier Craig Cannonier’s reversal of the decision “damage control”, telling the One Bermuda Alliance: “You had your backs against the wall.”

Mr Bean added: “This about-turn was not a political decision — it was a political reaction.”

During the Motion to Adjourn, Pembroke West Central MP David Burt led the attack by demanding to know why Government’s east end MPs had kept quiet on the Lamb Foggo issue — and why MP for Constituency 4 Suzann Roberts Holshouser had voiced support for the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s decision to close the Urgent Care Centre down.

The Shadow Finance Minister branded the idea that the UCC might be more profitable in private hands “disturbing”, telling the House: “It’s clear that the One Bermuda Alliance and Bermuda Health Board want to engage in union busting activity.”

Several Progressive Labour Party MPs questioned the OBA long-term plans for healthcare in Bermuda, with the National Health Plan mothballed and under review.

But Economic Development Minister Grant Gibbons accused the PLP benches of having short memories claiming that its former health plan “was all over the place — it lurched from side to side”.

“The BHB is now looking at very different circumstances and a very difficult situation as a result of very bad decisions made by the former Government,” Dr Gibbons said.

He congratulated the new BHB, appointed by the OBA earlier this year, for attempting to reign in expenses — something he said the former Board did not do.

The phrase “people power” was frequently used to describe yesterday’s march in protest at the planned UCC closure.

The PLP’s Rolfe Commissiong told the House that the former PLP administration had drawn its share of protest marches — but added: “They didn’t occur in the first year of the PLP government, as we’ve already seen under the first nine or ten months of the OBA government.”

OBA MP for St George’s North Kenneth Bascome shot back: “I’d like to ask those honourable members where they were when the PLP attempted to bring about the demise of St George’s with the economic decisions that they made.”

Mr Bascome pointed to the closure of the St George’s police station, golf club and beach house, which took place without consultation.

Shadow Health Minister Zane DeSilva suggested that Government was attempting to shift the blame by claiming that the shutdown decision was made by the BHB.

He said the clinic originally opened in 2009 because of a political decision by the then-governing PLP.

“The BHB was tasked with implementing the vision but it was a political decision and so it should be a political decision going forward,” he said.

Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell conceded that “mistakes were made” in announcing the closure of Lamb Foggo, but added: “I don’t believe anyone was making decisions that they didn’t think were in the best interests of the country.”

Mr Crockwell congratulated the Opposition for doing its job and said the OBA as Opposition would have done the same thing — although he told MPs he’d been disappointed that the march went ahead even after Mr Cannonier announced the clinic would not close.

“But they exercised their rights to be heard, and they should be applauded for that,” he said.

On the charge that Government’s decision had been simply political, Mr Crockwell responded: “The reality is that we’re in the financial situation we’re in because the previous administration made numerous decisions that impacted this country’s economy, based on politics.”

Bermuda was “financially sick”, the Minister said, adding: “To get back to health, we’re going to have to deal with some tough medicine.”

Many Opposition MPs noted that Mr Cannonier’s reversal wasn’t a full reprieve for Lamb Foggo — as the decision to shut it down had simply been postponed for six months.

However, the PLP MP who championed yesterday’s march, Lovitta Foggo, told the House she’d witnessed “a great day for democracy”.

The 5,000 signatures on the petition to keep Lamb Foggo open represented 12 percent of the electorate, she said.

“Since the Premier has given his word, I know that a way will be found to ensure that needs are being met,” the St David’s MP added.

Health Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin insisted that the original decision to close the centre had been made for the right reasons.

“The information given was that this was the time to drop the shovel in terms of the hole the BHB was in,” she said.

She said the BHB was saddled with massive costs, including a $950 million bill for the new hospital wing.

“The BHB had to look at what makes sense to continue and how it can streamline basic costs of operation,” Ms Gordon-Pamplin said.

She said Government’s decision to overrule the BHB was based on the “publicity” generated from the petition of nearly 5,000 names calling for the centre to remain open.

“Some decisions have to be made in isolation based on the right thing and pragmatic thing to do and not on political expediency,” she said, adding that public money should not be spent to buy private votes.

And she rejected Opposition allegations that the shutdown order had been made for the financial benefit of a few individuals.

“We don’t do this insider trading stuff and when people ask those questions we have to ask ‘what is your mindset’ because that’s not how we operate.”

Wrapping up the Opposition comeback, Mr Bean questioned why Cabinet “rubber stamped” the decision to shut Lamb Foggo, and asked those who congratulated Mr Cannonier for his decision to preserve the clinic why they hadn’t spoken up earlier.

Saying the OBA had won office by giving false promises to voters, Mr Bean told Government: “You’re reaping what you sowed” — accusing the OBA of caving in for fear of losing vulnerable seats in the east end.

But he closed on a conciliatory note, telling the House that healthcare reform “must be our collective focus”.