Danielle Smith denies accountability in AHS scandal

That's libertarianism for you: it's me, me, me, right up until someone demands answers.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) finally broke her/their silence on Wednesday’s alleged AHS procurement scandal Saturday morning.

Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) acknowledged her awareness of media stories surrounding the allegations and said they were “troubling”.

The Premier (or her communications team via her lawyers) also said she would ask Alberta’s Auditor General for an expedited review of the AHS CEO’s review that was allegedly completed back in December, and was scheduled to be presented to the Auditor General two days after the AHS CEO was fired on January 8, 2025.

According to the letter from former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, four days after she delivered her findings to the AHS board on December 19, she was instructed by the Alberta government’s health department “to wind down her investigation and turn over the files to the government.”

The AHS board, according to the allegations, indicated that Ms. Mentzelopoulos’ findings should be referred to the RCMP.

The seven-member board, who was fired (again) on January 31, 2025, consisted of three current Deputy Ministers in the Smith government, including Deputy Minister of Health Andre Trembley — who was announced as CEO at the same time as the board firing — and former PC Cabinet Minister Lyle Oberg, “who had political ties to Smith.”

Those allegations, and just basic deduction based on the makeup of the board, strongly suggest the Premier had access to the report’s findings, if she was “troubled by them”, almost two months ago.

We know she was a little preoccupied trying to get a face-to-face with incoming President Donald Trump at the time, but no one ever suggested being Premier didn’t require some ability to multi-task. Certainly, a case could be made for staying in one’s lane, but we’ve all tried to do far too much and ended up half-assing the lot of it, no?

Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) also requested that the results of an internal AHS review of Ms. Mentzelopolous’ findings, launched the day after the procurement and contracting allegations were made public, be “delivered directly” to her.

Here’s hoping she is in the country to receive them this time.

Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) added that she is requesting the results of the review by AHS of the fired AHS CEO’s findings so she can “study the results and make improvements or changes to the processes”.

“Improvements or changes” to which processes, exactly? The firing of everyone with direct knowledge?

Seems necessary for Ms. Smith and her government, especially as a stalling tactic, since not firing everyone involved would have helped them “get to the bottom of this issue quickly to identify any potential wrongdoing, correct it, and address it appropriately;” which Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) claims is now a priority.

As Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) notes, it was “no secret” that she was “unhappy with the level and quality of service delivered by AHS and in the inability of AHS to deliver quality and timely healthcare to Albertans.”

Albertans are well aware of Ms. Smith’s dissatisfaction with the formerly-arms'-length health services administrator, as one of her first actions as Premier was to fire the board in November of 2022, and install Dr. James Cowell in their stead as a direct report to then-Minister of Health Jason Copping.

Minister Copping was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election in 2023 and Adriana LaGrange became Health Minister after the election.

Mauro Chies, who had been interim CEO after Dr. Verna Yu’s firing in 2022, became the “permanent” CEO in March of 2023, and was replaced with Athana Mentzelopolous in December of 2023, after the newly appointed board (most recent) “shook up” senior leadership.

Turns out, some “revolving doors” are considered “good”?

“As Premier, I was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory,” Ms. Smith (or her communications team via her lawyers) added, requiring me to add this as a footnote in the history of Alberta leadership claiming they shouldn’t be held responsible for their words, actions, or those of their staff, appointees, or their appointee’s staff.

Danielle Smith’s (or her communications team via her lawyers) full statement from X below.

I have read various media stories containing allegations regarding the procurement and contracting processes of AHS. They are troubling allegations and they should be reviewed as quickly as possible.

To that end, I will be writing Auditor General Doug Wylie to ask for an expedited review and his findings on this issue. I have also directed my officials to ensure that any request for information from Mr. Wylie or his office is dealt with on a fully transparent and expedited basis. We need to get to the bottom of this issue quickly to identify any potential wrongdoing, correct it, and address it appropriately.

I have also asked that AHS’s internal review be completed as quickly as possible and delivered directly to me so we can study the results and make improvements or adjustments to these processes.

Until these findings are delivered, AHS has paused the contracting for the surgical facilities under review.

As Premier, I was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory.

It’s no secret I have been unhappy with the level and quality of service delivered by AHS and in the inability of AHS to deliver quality and timely healthcare to Albertans. I will continue to relentlessly push forward to make improvements.

Although that has required difficult decisions and major change, I do not accept the current results. There is a widespread and deep-seated resistance to change that we must overcome. That’s my goal: better healthcare for all.

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