EDMONTON — Alberta’s opposition leaders are demanding Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky scuttle a review into health-care wait times because they believe he’s in a conflict of interest.
The Wildrose Alliance and the NDP told the house in question period Monday that Zwozdesky was junior health minister a decade ago, when some of the problems are alleged to have started.
“Does he not see the obvious conflict of interest in having the Health Quality Council investigate the actions of his department and then report directly back to him?” Wildrose member Guy Boutilier asked the house.
Zwozdesky replied he had many job responsibilities at that time and pointed out the Health Quality Council has been given the green light to investigate, so he can’t now tell it how or what to look into.
“There will be (an investigation). It will be made public and it will be totally independent of this house,” he said.
The council is a panel of physicians and other professionals who examine problems in health care and make recommendations on how to fix them.
Dr. John Cowell, the council’s CEO, said Monday he had received the required mandate letter from Zwozdesky and was assembling his team.
The probe will take anywhere from three to nine months, he said.
“We have all the necessary powers and freedoms to carry on and do a thorough review,” said Cowell. “And in the end, there’s an absolute commitment that all of the facts that we determine will be made public.”
In a rare show of unity, the leaders of Alberta’s four opposition parties have joined with health critic Raj Sherman to demand a broader, more independent inquiry run by a former judge and with subpoena powers and full immunity for witnesses.
They say a wider investigation is needed given recent allegations in court documents related to a lawsuit that top Edmonton lung surgeon Ciaran McNamee was bullied by his bosses and pushed out of his job a decade ago for speaking out on long wait lists.
Cowell said that while his mandate concerns long waiting lists in cancer and emergency care, if the review finds that doctors were bullied, that can be pursued or referred to a more appropriate body.
“Undoubtedly there will be issues that we will look at involving physician advocacy and the ability to speak out.”
It was a noisy — and occasionally blue — day in the house as the opposition hammered away with calls for the broader inquiry.
Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann lambasted Premier Ed Stelmach for waiting three years to call an inquiry after first being notified by doctors of the long wait lists.
Stelmach said the government is making progress on wait times and the inquiry will push that forward.
“I have huge trust in the quality council,” the premier said.
“Absolute confidence, my ass!” Swann shouted back across the aisle, causing the house to erupt in whoops, whoas and cries of “Shame!”
“Please, please, please, please, please, please. Please!” said Speaker Ken Kowalski as he tried to quiet the house. “There are children in the (public) galleries today.”
“I apologize for that statement,” said Swann. “But I was one of those (doctors) this government fired in 2008. I know you cannot speak with impunity to this government.”
The spring sitting of the legislature, like the fall sitting that preceded it, has been dominated by health issues.
At the centre is Sherman, who is also an Edmonton-based emergency room doctor. He was tossed out of the government caucus and relieved of his duties as junior health minister last November for criticizing the Conservatives. He said people were suffering and sometimes dying on long wait lists.
He created a row on the first day of the sitting two weeks ago when he alleged in the house that 250 patients died on a cancer surgery waiting list more than six years ago. He also alleged that officials bullied and paid off doctors to hush it up, then cooked the financial books to hide the payoffs.
The startling allegations sparked outrage when Sherman identified by name two hospital officials who he said were in on the scam. He made the comments only in the legislature, which gives him immunity from being sued.
Sherman has since been ridiculed for going back and forth on a promise to provide evidence, then delivering a rehash of unrelated internal emails.
On Friday, he said the McNamee story, unearthed by CBC-TV, vindicates him.
Zwozdesky said the lawsuit represents nothing more than a human resources dispute. He publicly criticized Sherman for accusing private citizens without evidence.
“In this country you are innocent until proven guilty,” Zwozdesky told the house as his colleagues erupted in cheers and shouts of “Bravo!” and Sherman looked back at him impassively across the aisle.
“I challenge this member to provide some evidence.
“Stop this game playing.”