EDMONTON — Today, after months of delays, the Alberta government is finally supposed to receive the final report from Justice Wyant’s third-party investigation into the allegations of corruption and interference in Alberta’s surgical procurement and contracting processes.
The interim report was initially due in May, with a final report in June, but instead the Deputy Minister of Justice—an unelected bureaucrat—was sent out to quietly announce a months-long delay in the report. On September 24, Albertans learned that the interim report was further delayed and would not be made public, despite previous assurances from the Minister of Justice made during Question Period back in March.
“Regardless of what is in today’s report, if it is even finished on time, the ongoing lack of respect for Albertans is totally unacceptable. We deserve accountability and transparency, not a government-controlled process that tries to sweep these very serious allegations under the rug,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “This is hundreds of millions of our public health care dollars being spent on private surgical contracts. Albertans deserve to know how our money is being spent, and that those decisions are being made in patients’ best interest, not those of for-profit companies.”
“That means we need a fully empowered public inquiry with a wide mandate to call witnesses and look into the entirety of this government’s health care procurements. An inquiry is the only way Albertans can be assured we will get real answers on the ongoing allegations of corruption,” concluded Gallaway.
-30-
➤ Take action to Protect + Rebuild our Healthcare
➤ Join our email list to receive news like this in your inbox
➤ Support Friends of Medicare's work