Citing the Alberta Health Services expense scandal as “the latest in a string of serious blows to Alberta’s public health care system”, the Wildrose Official Opposition is calling on Premier Alison Redford to fire Health Minister Fred Horne.
At a news conference in Edmonton Wednesday, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith referred to the $350,000 expense scandal as the “exclamation point” on Horne’s “tumultuous 10-month tenure as Health Minister.”
“Minister Horne has lost the confidence of Albertans to honestly and competently manage Alberta’s public health care system, and he should no longer have the confidence of the Premier,” Smith said. “On his watch, we have seniors being forced out of long-term care centres, seniors being force-fed inedible mush, a do-nothing public health care inquiry – and now, one of the most egregious taxpayer rip-offs we’ve ever seen. Ms. Redford should immediately relieve him as Health Minister and get on with the monumental task of restoring Albertans’ confidence in the public health care system.”
“When you pile up this evidence, with this latest scandal just being the topper, he clearly has to go,” Smith stressed.
The Wildrose leader claims an issue of particular concern is the relationship between Health Minister Fred Horne and former AHS CFO Allaudin Merali, who left his position after his 2005-2008 expense claims while working for Capital Health were made public.
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“For him to try to argue initially that he didn’t know about this guy’s history. He’s just not being truthful with the public. Horner contradicted him the very same day, saying they actually did know the history.”
Finance Minister Doug Horner said last Thursday cabinet was aware of a similar expense claim controversy Merali had in Ontario while working for eHealth.
“We were aware of that, as I said, we were aware of that as well as – that would have been a part of the interview process that we have… not only that, but also the rest of his career as well.”
“I’m also aware of a number of very positive things he has done since then, including some of his international work and some of the work he’s done with philanthropy,” added Horner.
Earlier Wednesday, the Redford government released a statement announcing a new initiative led by Associate Minister of Accountability, Transparency and Transformation, Don Scott. Scott said he’s “asked Jill Clayton, Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, to collaborate with me in a review of models and best practices from other jurisdictions to bolster the transparency of our travel and expense reporting.”
He also plans to hire an external human resources firm to look at current hiring practices and employment contracts.
“On the expenses and travel related issue, we already post that information more ministers, it’s online right now,” says Gerald Kastendieck, a spokesperson for Service Alberta.
“He’s going to work with Jill Clayton, Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner and look at best practices from other jurisdictions and see what we can add here and improve on.”
“We look forward to the report from the Auditor General,” states Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw.
“As our leader has mentioned, it should be made fully public to all MLAs, in particular, when there are obvious conflicts of interest. He was a health care lobbyist during these times. How possibly could he get a report that could actually report on himself. That in itself is a serious problem.”
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