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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 
They posted it twice because it had to be heard.Sent from my iPhone
Rose MacKenzie-Kirkwood: thanks, that’s how I’ll explain multiple postings from now on!!
I’m going t try to comment
And I can’t believe how quickly people defer responsibility for things for which they are responsible.
Linda of Lanyos: Ducking responsibility appears to be bred in the bone for these guys.
Linda of Lanyos: your try worked 🙂
‘The premier must resign.’
Absolutely she must. We have enough of incompetence and her closeness to the Trump administration that we all know wants to annex Canada. So if she is on that side please get out. Just get out. We do not want traitors in our province. Get the hell out. You and you gang of Idiots. We do not need you at ALL.|
GET OUT
Carlos, I agree. It’s one thing for the premiers to go to meet with US lawmakers to point out the damage Trump’s tariffs will do to Americans, it’s quite another to be Trump’s apologist and saying “he has a point, we must do everything in our power to satisfy him,” when there’s no basis whatsoever for his grievances.
Here’s what I don’t understand about Trump’s drive to make Canada the 51st state, everyone says it’s all about Americans taking our resources, but American companies already have free access to our resources. In fact we sell them oil and natural gas at a discount to world markets, so when we become the 51st state the American companies will boost the price to match prices in the rest of the states, ie. world prices. That makes our resources more expensive, not less expensive. Seems to me what Trump really wants is to be the president of the biggest piece of real estate on the planet.
My pain meds are kicking in. Am I missing something?
Good overview Susanonthesoapbox. If all these allegations prove true – this is corruption supreme – but not a surprise.
It’s very concerning she has directed the AG to send the report to her. Rightly, it should go to the Legislature.
This is definitely a test of democracy in AB. Wow!!
All taxpayers should be very concerned and not only the AB tax payers.
Keep posting updates.
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Lausmank55: Thanks. Actually there are two reports. AHS’s interim CEO (who’s also a deputy minister in the health department) is supposed to give his report directly to the premier. However, the Auditor General (AG) is independent, Smith has no control over him and she can’t force him to show her his report before he tables it with the Legislature. The AG has said he will make his report public the same time he presents it to the Legislature. So that’s the report I’m waiting for.
*e questions being asked relate to fraud and corruption. Once the AG’s report comes out we’ll have a better idea of how far down the rabbit hole we’ve fallen.