Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has accepted the resignation of Minister of Infrastructure Pete Guthrie, following concerns he raised about allegations made by the former CEO of Alberta Health Services (AHS) regarding the province’s procurement processes.
In a statement, Premier Smith reaffirmed the seriousness of the allegations, which are currently under investigation by the Auditor General. She emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, stating that her administration is fully cooperating with the review to ensure a swift resolution.
Additionally, Smith has directed senior civil servants to retain a credible third-party investigator with strong legal expertise to conduct an independent inquiry into the AHS procurement processes.
“We want to understand exactly what occurred regarding these procurement decisions,” Smith stated, adding that despite repeated requests, AHS had not provided any substantive evidence or documentation to the Minister of Health or the government.
The Premier denied any personal involvement in the procurement decisions and reiterated that the government’s policy was focused on expanding surgical facilities to address long wait times.
“My actions were straightforward: the government made a policy decision to expand surgical facilities to tackle the critical issue of wait times, and we trusted that AHS would act upon and implement that direction,” she stated.
Smith reassured Albertans that the government remains committed to improving health care services, particularly by increasing publicly funded surgeries and re-focusing the system to better serve patients.
Guthrie’s resignation marks a significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding AHS procurement decisions, raising further political and ethical concerns within the provincial government.
