Today, Public Interest Alberta is reiterating its call for a fully-independent, urgent public inquiry under the Inquiries Act, after the Government of Alberta Deputy Minister and former interim Deputy Minister for Executive Council announced that Albertans will not see a report from Judge Wyant until October. This will mean a delay of more than four months.

“There is no trust, accountability or respect from Danielle Smith,” said Bradley Lafortune, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “Albertans have not forgotten this scandal implicates former and current ministers, senior staff in the Premier’s Office, and others in alleged wrongdoing that is criminal in nature.”

“Let’s review the facts: the CEO of AHS was fired hours before she was to meet with the Auditor General about concerns over private surgical contracts. This occurred after she had made the Minister of Health and senior officials at Alberta Health that she was carrying out her duties and investigating “into potential conflicts of interest around CSF and other AHS procurement issues including an unfulfilled $70 million contract between AHS and MHCare for children’s acetaminophen.”  She alleges she was pressured to sign bloated contracts by the Premier’s most senior staff. Recently it has come to light that the former Chief of Staff to Danielle Smith lived in a mansion owned Sam Mraiche’s sister.

Now, rumours are starting to circulate that there could very well be an early general election called by Danielle Smith this fall, before any report on her healthcare scandal can be released. Former Deputy Premier, Thomas Lukaszuk is the latest to speak to this possibility. 

“Danielle Smith is delaying the truth because she wants another mandate, pure and simple,” said Lafortune. “Smith cannot be trusted with our healthcare and she certainly can’t be trusted with restoring accountability and trust in government. Every Albertan should be very alarmed at what is unfolding in front of us right now: it’s nothing short of the biggest coverup in Alberta’s political history.”