Health Minister Brad Cathers isn't saying when the new Watson Lake health care facility will be ready, nor what the final cost will be.

Expenditures of nearly $5 million to date, as well as $6.9 million identified in the 2008-09 territorial budget tabled two weeks ago, put the cost at well over double the original $5.2-million budget announced three years ago.

"Again, what's the final bill for this facility going to be, and when will it be open for the public?"

Liberal MLA Gary McRobb asked in question period Wednesday.

Cathers did not provide an answer.

Rather, he accused McRobb of twisting the numbers and misinterpreting the findings in the auditor general of Canada's February 2007 report on the government's property management agency.

McRobb, Cathers charged, knows full well, because of previous discussions in the legislature, that delays and cost overruns resulted from a change in scope of the project, and unforeseen structural issues.

"The member is not reflecting the fact that some of the delays in the project were as a result of listening to the public and changing the design through the structure of this project, which was done through - as I remind the member opposite - our construction management approach," the minister said.

"We listened to the people of Watson Lake and we're moving forward."

Premier Dennis Fentie said in an interview Wednesday there will be a briefing on the Watson Lake facility to ensure the media get the correct information, and not just the Liberal version of what has occurred.

Cathers declined an interview, preferring to defer comments until after the imminent briefing.

Opposition members and at least some in the private sector have blamed the soaring cost and schedule delays on the government's initial management approach, which included sole-sourced contracts to constituents in the premier's riding.

The auditor general's report found there was a lack of communication in the initial planning stages between the property management department, the government's contracting authority, and the Department of Health and Social Services.

Sheila Fraser noted staff with property management, which was supposed to manage the project, were excluded from meetings between Health and Social Services and the design consultant working on the Watson Lake project.

In June 2005, the property management branch officially declined any responsibility for the project, Fraser points out in her report.

In a response to that report by the auditor general, the government tabled a progress report in the legislature yesterday.

There has been substantial progress to rectify the concerns raised by the auditor, including improved planning and implementation of the building project, says the report.

McRobb also suggested to the house Wednesday that mismanagement of the Watson Lake care facility has cost Dawson City its new multi-level care facility. Both projects were announced in 2005 for $5.2 million each.

"Again, the member made the assertion - which he knows is not true - that the Dawson City multi-level care facility is a casualty," Cathers told the legislature.

"We will be moving forward with the health centre in Dawson City, addressing the needs of the residents of that town and those of the people in that area.

The government had identified $60,000 for the Dawson multi-care proposal in the last fiscal budget, though nothing has been identified in the new 2008-09 budget.