Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, centre, poses with newly named ministers in Calgary on May 16.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Premier Danielle Smith shuffled her cabinet on Friday, including major changes in the health portfolio with individual ministers now responsible for the four separate pillars created in the province’s continuing overhaul of the health authority.
Alberta Health Services is being split into four areas covering mental health and addictions, acute care, primary care and continuing care.
Each new pillar of the health service has been assigned its own minister. Adriana LaGrange, who was health minister, is now the Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services.
In the other three pillars, former jobs minister Matt Jones is now Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services; Rick Wilson moves from Indigenous relations to become Minister of Mental Health and Addiction; Jason Nixon is the Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, reflecting his expanded health portfolio.
While Ms. LaGrange will no longer be solely responsible for the government’s biggest ministry, she will continue to work on the overhaul of the health care system, according to the Premier.
Ms. Smith has stuck by Ms. LaGrange despite allegations, from AHS’s former chief executive, of contract and procurement irregularities related to hospitals and surgeries under her watch.
When asked this morning at a news conference, Ms. Smith said the main reason for the cabinet shuffle was filling gaps after Rick McIver left cabinet earlier this week to fill the vacancy as Speaker.
“Once you move one cabinet minister, you have to start moving a few others,” Ms. Smith said. Later, when asked about the changes to the Health Ministry, Smith said “refocusing is almost complete.”
Other cabinet changes had Rajan Sawhney moved to Indigenous Relations from advanced education. Backbencher Myles McDougall takes over her former role. Dan Williams moves to municipal affairs from mental health and addiction. Andrew Boitchenko was brought into cabinet as Minister of Tourism and Sport, taking over from Joseph Schow, who moves to Jobs Minister.
The UCP, under former premier Jason Kenney, committed to reducing waiting times for surgeries by using more chartered surgical facilities (CSFs), private outfits that perform operations as part of the public-health care system. Ms. Smith touts these facilities as a key part of her health care changes, but they have also emerged as controversial for her government.
Athana Mentzelopoulos, AHS’s former chief executive, alleges in a lawsuit that the government fired her for launching a series of investigations, including some into CSF contracts. The government, in turn, alleges that she was fired for incompetence, largely because she was stymying the UCP‘s plan to increase surgical volume in private facilities.
These private centres cannot perform life-saving operations or cancer surgeries. They focus on less complicated procedures, such as cataract surgeries and hip and knee replacements. Their patients are generally in better health than those who receive the same surgery in hospital.
Ms. Mentzelopoulos alleges that the government put pressure on her to sign CSF contracts that came with fees she felt were inflated compared with what the health authority pays others private companies and what it costs to perform the same surgeries in hospitals. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
The Premier dismisses Ms. Mentzelopoulos’s math, arguing that AHS was just trying to protect its turf and not accurately accounting for all costs. Ms. Smith is adamant that private surgical facilities are the most effective way to reduce surgical waiting times.
Friday‘s announcement follows a tense spring legislative session that saw 19 pieces of legislation with many major bills coming in the final weeks.
The size of Ms. Smith’s cabinet remains the same as before Mr. McIver’s move to Speaker, but there are now two associate ministers. Muhammad Yaseen was demoted, losing the immigration portfolio, but will be the associate minister of multiculturalism. Grant Hunter is now the associate minister of water and Chief Government Whip.
In a statement on Friday, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the shuffle, saying it was the sign of a sinking ship.
“She’s clinging to a scandal-ridden crew that’s out of touch and out of ideas. Albertans deserve better,” Mr. Nenshi said.
Announced on a Friday before a long weekend, after the spring session closed Thursday, the government took no questions after the new cabinet ministers were sworn in.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Rajan Sawhney was demoted to Indigenous Relations from advanced education. The move was a lateral one. This version has been updated.