Author of the article: Bill Kaufmann
Publishing date: Aug 13, 2021 •
Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro speaks In Calgary on Friday, July 9, 2021. PHOTO BY JIM WELLS /Postmedia
The naming of a close ally of Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro to the Alberta Health Services board has raised accusations of cronyism and renewed concerns over the direction the province’s medical system is taking.
On Monday, the AHS announced the appointment of Hartley R. Harris, president of Calgary-based Catch Engineering and chair of Energy Industry Electrical Engineering Associates.
“Hartley’s skills and experience will provide a fresh perspective to the AHS Board and to Alberta’s healthcare system as we continue to transform our healthcare system and move forward with the recommendations outlined in the AHS Performance Review,” AHS Board Chair David Weyant said in a press release.
But watchdog group Friends of Medicare contend Harris lacks qualification for the position and said the appointment reeks of cronyism, pointing to Elections Alberta records showing he served as chief financial officer for Health Minister Tyler Shandro’s 2019 election campaign.
Those same records also indicate Harris donated $2,281 to that campaign.
“Definitely there’s a conflict of interest there. . . The cronyism is a huge concern,” said the group’s executive director Sandra Azocar. “We’ve been calling for the governance of AHS to be done by public health experts like doctors.”
She said Harris’s business background and affiliation with the UCP sends another signal the government is serious about privatizing more of the province’s public health care system, some of which was recommended in a review completed in 2020.
“With legislation from this government and the plan to outsource to the private sector the jobs of 11,000 support workers, we know that push to privatization is real,” said Azocar.
The recent appointment of prominent business figure and academic Dr. Jack Mintz to the AHS board rings similar alarm bells, she said.
The naming of a close ally of Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro to the Alberta Health Services board has raised accusations of cronyism and renewed concerns over the direction the province’s medical system is taking.
On Monday, the AHS announced the appointment of Hartley R. Harris, president of Calgary-based Catch Engineering and chair of Energy Industry Electrical Engineering Associates.
“Hartley’s skills and experience will provide a fresh perspective to the AHS Board and to Alberta’s healthcare system as we continue to transform our healthcare system and move forward with the recommendations outlined in the AHS Performance Review,” AHS Board Chair David Weyant said in a press release.
But watchdog group Friends of Medicare contend Harris lacks qualification for the position and said the appointment reeks of cronyism, pointing to Elections Alberta records showing he served as chief financial officer for Health Minister Tyler Shandro’s 2019 election campaign.
Those same records also indicate Harris donated $2,281 to that campaign.
“Definitely there’s a conflict of interest there. . . The cronyism is a huge concern,” said the group’s executive director Sandra Azocar. “We’ve been calling for the governance of AHS to be done by public health experts like doctors.”
She said Harris’s business background and affiliation with the UCP sends another signal the government is serious about privatizing more of the province’s public health care system, some of which was recommended in a review completed in 2020.
“With legislation from this government and the plan to outsource to the private sector the jobs of 11,000 support workers, we know that push to privatization is real,” said Azocar.
The recent appointment of prominent business figure and academic Dr. Jack Mintz to the AHS board rings similar alarm bells, she said.
Jack Mintz of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. PHOTO BY DON HEALY /Postmedia
“When you have people you can’t trust to (advance public health care), it’s a huge concern,” said Azocar.
According to the AHS website, board members are paid $14,250 a year and $665 per meeting to a maximum of $1,900 a month while committee chairs are annually paid an additional $1,900.
NDP health care critic David Shepherd said the government has been creating a crony-laden “echo chamber” on boards and commissions with Harris’s appointment the latest example.
“If you want to create good government policy, you want diversity at the table, but they have no interest in hearing from someone who doesn’t agree with them,” he said.
“It certainly gives the appearance they’d rather do business with their friends than look after the health of Albertans.”
Harris couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
A spokesman for AHS said the AHS couldn’t comment on Harris’s appointment because it’s a provincial government matter.
A spokesman for Shandro’s office said Harris’s appointment was a solid choice for the AHS board and castigated critics of the appointment as partisan hacks.
“Mr. Harris is an exceptionally well qualified board member, and we’re grateful to him for his willingness to serve,” Steve Buick said in an email.
“The attempt to smear him is a disgrace and a new low in hypocrisy for the Friends of Medicare — a front group for the NDP and public-sector unions.”
“When you have people you can’t trust to (advance public health care), it’s a huge concern,” said Azocar.
According to the AHS website, board members are paid $14,250 a year and $665 per meeting to a maximum of $1,900 a month while committee chairs are annually paid an additional $1,900.
NDP health care critic David Shepherd said the government has been creating a crony-laden “echo chamber” on boards and commissions with Harris’s appointment the latest example.
“If you want to create good government policy, you want diversity at the table, but they have no interest in hearing from someone who doesn’t agree with them,” he said.
“It certainly gives the appearance they’d rather do business with their friends than look after the health of Albertans.”
Harris couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
A spokesman for AHS said the AHS couldn’t comment on Harris’s appointment because it’s a provincial government matter.
A spokesman for Shandro’s office said Harris’s appointment was a solid choice for the AHS board and castigated critics of the appointment as partisan hacks.
“Mr. Harris is an exceptionally well qualified board member, and we’re grateful to him for his willingness to serve,” Steve Buick said in an email.
“The attempt to smear him is a disgrace and a new low in hypocrisy for the Friends of Medicare — a front group for the NDP and public-sector unions.”
No comments:
Post a Comment