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“This isn’t mismanagement—it’s a scandal”—Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association. Calling for an independent investigation into the Alberta Surgical Initiative (a $400 Mill effort to outsource surgeries to for-profit organizations).
Ms Soapbox has wrecked her back and, as such, can’t sit still for very long, however she has a few words to say about the recent Globe and Mail article in which Ms Mentzelopoulos (Ms M), former CEO of AHS, made a number of incendiary allegations about the Alberta government interfering with the procurement and contracting procedures at AHS.
The gist of Ms M’s allegations is that AHS (ie the Alberta taxpayer) may have been pressured by the government (the Alberta taxpayer’s proxy) into overpaying for for-profit healthcare services (including services it would not necessarily receive).
After three days of saying nothing, Premier Smith issued a brief press release in which she said:
- She’s asking the AG for an expedited review and directed her officials to be “fully transparent with the AG
- She wants AHS to finish its internal review as quickly as possible so “we can study the results and make improvements or adjustments to these processes”
- AHS has paused contracting for these surgical facilities, and
- “As Premier, [she] was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory.”
Of those points, it’s the last one that’s most interesting.
Why?
Because the AG doesn’t have to prove “wrongdoing” (certainly not in the criminal beyond-a-reasonable-doubt sense). All he has to do is show a lack of compliance with AHS and Alberta Health procurement and contracting policies, which no doubt include a series of checks and balances to ensure maximum bang for the buck, ie every single taxpayer dollar is spent wisely and is properly accounted for.
If there’s a scintilla of substance to Ms M’s allegations,we’ll hear about it. And heads will roll.
So, on the topic of rolling heads, this might be a good time to remind the premier—who seems to think the private sector is the holy grail for public services—that this is one thing the private sector does very well.
When something goes horribly wrong on a CEO’s watch, they resign—BP’s CEO, Anthony Bryan Hayward, did not install the defective blow-out-protector used in the Deep Water Horizon oil well—but he resigned when it exploded.
The premier’s record with outsourcing healthcare services, be it DynaLife lab services, Turkish Tylenol, or the Alberta Surgical Initiative, leaves a lot to be desired.
But if the AG determines that Ms M’s allegations have substance, that’s the last straw.
The premier must resign.
Susan on the Soapbox 
I can’t seem to achieve lift-off tocomment on Word Press. Here’s my thoughts via email.
I love your writing and I do hope the captain will go down with her very unseaworthy ship. Best wishes for excellent back repairs via an excellent AHS facility.
Hi artistdianne. It looks like your comment came through just fine. Thank you for the support and the good wishes re: my back. So far it’s muscle relaxants, pain killers and a heating pad. I think it’s improving, but it’s really, really, slow!!!
PLEASE REMOVE MY PERSONAL INFORMATION! Your system picked it up from my e-mail. I have now removed all personal info from my email!!!
Dianne
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Artistdianne: I deleted your personal information. I refreshed my page and it was gone. Should be fine now.
Hi Susan. Didn’t Danielle Smith award two contract for private surgery clinics? And didn’t the contracts have the most outrageously, scandalously generous termination clauses?
I tried a couple searches on your website, but came up empty. Would you look up the blog(s)? Our friends and neighbours need a reminder. Thanks! –Mike D
Mike, good point. I will dig into that. Just as I went to post this, the WordPress website updated itself. Now it’s got new bells and whistles including AI. Unfortunately that means the usual stuff has moved around. I’m so annoyed with WP I’ve been considering a substack, but I like the fact readers can comment for free without having to subscribe so I’ll probably stay here for a little while longer.
Yeah, I’m not keen on how the computer bros keep “improving” my experience with their products. David Climenhaga has some “truculent” words re Smith’s denial of responsibility for the AHS scandal. I’d like to share your post with his readers–since it may be that’s one of the many unethical political decisions damaging our public health system.
Back pain sucks. I hope you are feeling better soon.
There is no chance Stormy Danielle resigns. She appears to believe that she is above the law (like her idol Trump). Also, aren’t laws just for the little people?
About the best we can hope for is that her delusional thinking isn’t enough to save her from an independent judicial inquiry with independent forensic auditors to provide evidence (if we are allowed to have such a thing in Alberta).
Public Servant, thanks for the sympathy.
Smith does appear to be teflon doesn’t she. You’d think rural Alberta would have had it up to here with all the ER closing and lack of doctors, but they’re still sticking by here. I guess ideology trumps common sense.
I have a feeling Smith’s ask, that the report is delivered to her and her alone, is an attempt to bury the findings. Albertans have a right to know exactly what went down. Princess Paracetamol is sensitive about the $70 million dollar fiasco.
Lori Fitzgerald: I suspect you’re absolutely right. the AHS report will be parsed by the interim CEO (who also happens to be a deputy minister, so if he wants to keep his real job he’ll understand the assignment), then it will be sent to Smith who will parse it some more. Then it will sit on a shelf until the AG’s report comes out. Smith is probably hoping the AG’s report will point the finger at an underlying who can be fired. If the political flack is too much she’ll likely throw the Health Minister, Adrianna LaGrange under the bus and then move on. Nothing to see here folks, let’s go make friends with Trump.
Smith’s expression in that photo looks like she wants to incinerate everyone in the room.
You know, the NDP had their problems, but their four years in power seems like an oasis of calm compared to the mostly self-inflicted flaming clown show we’ve had since the UCP took over. Humility and accountability went out the window immediately. The arrogance and entitlement that took the PCs decades in power to achieve have been surpassed by the UCP in less than five years. Smith acts like it’s an affront to her that she should have to be accountable to the public in any way. And directs her officials to be transparent as if that’s some special consideration and not what they should be doing by default.
Sorry about your back. Back pain’s awful! 😬 Hopefully it improves soon.
Jason, that’s an excellent point. Given how unpredictable the world is right now we could use a little peace and sanity at the provincial government level. And I don’t know what she hoped to gain by saying she’s directing her officials to respond to the AG’s requests transparently and expeditiously, because that’s the law, as per the Auditor General Act. Frankly, if our own government officials have to be told to comply with our government’s laws we’re in bad shape.
Sorry about your back pain – if home measures like rest, gentle stretching, muscle relaxants and heat don’t help, maybe consult a physiotherapist.
On the issue at hand, you may recall that towards the end of December, just before Christmas, Calgary political podcaster Nate Pike, of The Breakdown, was sued by Sam Mraiche, owner of that very same MHCare that is at the centre of this current scandal, claiming defamation over Mr Pike’s coverage of mid-pandemic PPE procurement and the Turkish “Tylenot” affair. Many observers suggested at the time that this lawsuit was a classic example of a SLAPP action.
Now we have this story from the G&M that seems to lend credence to much of what Mr Pike reported in his pod. So, if truth is a defence against a defamation claim, Mr Pike should be on solid legal ground, provided he can afford to fight the lawsuit.
jerrymacgp: I do recall the lawsuit against Mr Pike. As you say, if Mr Pike can synch his litigation with the AG’s review, the AG’s findings may help him a lot. Defamation claims fail if what is alleged turns out to be true.
I’m still trying to get my head around Smith’s statement: ““As Premier, I was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory.” Gary Mason commented in the Globe that this appears to be a warning to all and sundry. But reporting on the facts is not grounds for defamation.
I’m really looking forward to the AG’s report.
Someone should check on Danielle Smith’s violation of the Canada Health Act which will result in funding being clawed back by the federal government…
Gerald McIvor: that is a very good point. Klein tried to privatize under his Third Way policies, but when the feds told him he’d lose federal funding he backed off.
(I tried leaving a comment)
When a leader claims “I am not a criminal” and ignorance of actions of those working under her, it screams coverup. At least incompetence. The people who were investigating and/or recommended referral to the RCMP were fired by Order in Council. The Premier chairs the meetings of said Council. Albertans deserve better.
Jeff Lennard
Jeff Lennard: Absolutely. I have to admit when I saw the premier’s comment in her press release the first thought that came to mind was Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” speech. This is going to be one of the most important AG investigations in Alberta’s political history.
Susan, these sort of things write themselves. All you have to do is say what happened. Other countries & cultures have a different sense of accountability and that thing called honour. Smith caters to the highest bidder/lowest common denominator and the rest be damned.
You are right, that is why she gets along with another crook like Trump.
Howard Gibb. This is very true. Speaking of other countries and their standards. I see that Smith’s friend Trump has just gutted the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which made it an offense to bribe foreign officials. Trump’s rationale is that bribery is part of doing business so it should not be illegal. Tells you everything you want to know about the man and his morals.