{"id":15532,"date":"2025-02-09T16:49:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T16:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/09\/premier-smith-responds-to-allegations-of-political-interference-at-ahs\/"},"modified":"2025-02-09T16:49:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T16:49:39","slug":"premier-smith-responds-to-allegations-of-political-interference-at-ahs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/09\/premier-smith-responds-to-allegations-of-political-interference-at-ahs\/","title":{"rendered":"Premier Smith responds to allegations of political interference at AHS"},"content":{"rendered":"


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After three days of silence, Premier Danielle Smith spoke out on Saturday and denied any wrongdoing in relation to explosive allegations about operations and conflict of interest concerns at Alberta Health Services (AHS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The allegations were outlined in a letter sent by the lawyer for former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopolous to the Globe and Mail.<\/p>\n

The letter alleges that Alberta Health Services was pressured to approve private contracts and that the former AHS CEO was fired two days before a meeting with the auditor general to discuss findings around private surgery facilities and procurement contracts.<\/p>\n

Smith has not been made available since the news broke earlier this week, but in a statement, she said the allegations are \u201ctroubling\u201d and called for an expedited review of the auditor general\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to get to the bottom of this issue quickly to identify any potential wrongdoing, correct it, and address it appropriately,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI have also asked that AHS\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Smith added, \u201cAs Premier, I was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi slammed the premier soon after she released her statement, with a statement of his own, saying Smith\u2019s actions don\u2019t go far enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took her four days to say anything. And then she says she will do nothing beyond what\u2019s already happening,\u201d Nenshi said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is simply not good enough. Her own office is implicated. The investigation can\u2019t be handed over to the people being investigated. How dumb does she think Albertans are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nenshi is calling for an independent public inquiry and is calling on the RCMP for a full investigation.<\/p>\n

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