EDMONTON — Premier Alison Redford took a step back Tuesday from a key campaign promise to call a judicial inquiry into allegations of political coercion in the health system, suggesting there may be another way to accomplish the same task.
Specifically, Redford indicated that a beefed up and fully independent Health Quality Council could potentially investigate the issues as effectively as an inquiry, a suggestion that drew immediate protests from opposition parties.
“One of the questions I want to ask is whether or not we can accomplish the same thing through an independent health quality council,” Redford said Tuesday at the legislature.
“But I believe the legislation we’ll introduce this fall will give the health quality council the ability to have all of the same powers and be independent to ensure the same job is being accomplished.”
The health quality council is already conducting a probe into alleged intimidation of doctors, with a final report expected in February. But opposition parties, who raised those allegations, have argued the current structure of the agency makes it too weak and too tied to the government to lead a proper investigation.
Redford initially supported the decision to have the health quality council alone delve into the accusations, but then in June new allegations of queue-jumping came to light from former Alberta Health Services president Dr. Stephen Duckett. Duckett said he was told the province’s former regional health authorities commonly received requests to have politically connected people bypass waiting lists for medical care.
After hearing the allegations, Redford called for a judicial inquiry to look into all the various claims of political meddling. She said the inquiry was needed to restore public confidence in the health system, though the promise conflicted with the views of then-premier Ed Stelmach, then-health minister Gene Zwozdesky, and some of the candidates in the Tory leadership race.
Even after winning the race, some in her caucus continued to oppose the move. Finance Minister Ron Liepert, a former health minister, said earlier this month that he would fight the idea.
Redford also promised during the leadership campaign to make the health quality council more independent so that it would report to the legislature directly rather than to the health minister. She said the government plans to introduce legislation to that effect, and potentially give the council more powers, when the fall session resumes in late November.
Opposition parties have been clamouring for a more robust health quality council, but said Tuesday such a move does not equal a judicial inquiry.
“In no way can you make the assertion that the health quality council will ever have the independence it needs in order to get to the bottom of this, and it should get to the bottom of this,” said NDP Leader Brian Mason, suggesting the council is too linked with top health officials.
“Those (health) ministers need to be called (to testify) and they can’t be called by the health quality council no matter what changes you might want to propose in terms of their power. There’s some tricky business afoot with the premier here.”
He said a major difference with a public inquiry is that it would be led by a judge, who would have subpoena powers and would approach the issues as an objective outsider.
“If the government truly wants to win the confidence of the public, putting this episode behind us, they need to make sure that it not only is objective, but it’s seen to be objective. I don’t think the health quality council can do that at all.”
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said Redford’s comments represent a broken promise. She said even a beefed up health quality council likely won’t be enough to convince health professionals to come forward to testify about episodes of alleged coercion.
“I think they want to see Ms. Redford keep her promise for an independent judicial inquiry, to provide that safe environment for them to come forward knowing they’re not going to be bullied or punished for it.”
Added Liberal Leader Raj Sherman: “She has flip-flopped, she is ducking and hiding. Albertans need answers. Unless somebody is held accountable and ample evidence is brought forward, we’re not going to get to the truth.”
Health and Wellness Minister Fred Horne offered a somewhat different view than Redford, telling the legislature Tuesday that the government was still committed to a “fully independent” inquiry, but it would have to wait until the health quality council report on doctor intimidation is complete. That means the inquiry, should it proceed, would not be finished until well after the next provincial election, which Redford has said would likely come in June 2012 or earlier.
“The independent inquiry will happen regardless (of the health quality council findings),” Horne said. “But both processes would be looking at the same allegations, so I think it’s important we give the health quality council a chance to complete its work, and that will inform how the inquiry will be set up.”
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