EDMONTON — One of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative leadership candidates broke ranks Tuesday to demand a judicial inquiry into allegations that friends of the government have accessed a secret back-channel system to get faster health treatment.
Alison Redford says only an inquiry with subpoena powers can get to the bottom of this and other accusations of government meddling and abuse of power in the health system.
“My call for an inquiry is about finding out the truth and putting a stop to practices that go against my personal and political values,” said Redford in a release.
“These allegations may be true, or not. Regardless, we need to find answers to restore confidence in one of our most important public institutions.”
Redford, a former justice minister, was responding to comments made recently in a speech by Stephen Duckett, the former head of Alberta Health Services. The government agency delivers front line health services and reports to Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky.
Duckett said when he took over the job in 2009, he learned of a system that allowed government cronies and other favoured parties to move up on surgery wait lists.
“I’m told some of predecessor CEO’s had designated go-to guys for discreet waiting lists adjustments on request from MLAs — a practice I discontinued,” said Duckett in his May 5 speech to other health professionals at the University of Toronto.
Alberta Health Services has since released a memo sent in 2009 to regional health leaders from Duckett advising them to stop allowing “queue jumping.”
Zwozdesky said Monday he had never heard of any such back-channel system and challenged Duckett to bring evidence forward.