by The Honourable A. Brian Peckford
February 25, 2025
Danielle Smith Loses Key Cabinet Minister, Peter Guthrie, Over Alberta ‘s Health Services and The Governments ‘ Contract Practices .
I have not met Peter in person . But I have met him online. He was one of the MLA’s that was interested to hear my views on the Charter of Rights And Freedoms during the Truckers Convoy. From all the Albertans to whom I have mentioned his name he has always been thought of very highly. A politician of solid ethics and integrity.
In reading Mr. Guthrie’s letter of resignation one is struck by the reasonable request of his to have a Financial Oversight Committee review major contracts of the government. Apparently this was rejected by the Premier. This reminds me of this Premier ‘s refusal to accept my recommendation that the hiring of Preston Manning to serve as Chair of her Covid Review Committee should not proceed given the ethical problems this presented given Mr. Manning’s already involvement with the National Citizens Inquiry.
Here are the the key points of Mr. Guthrie’s letter :
“In recent months, I have voiced concerns regarding the Government of Alberta’s procurement practices across all departments. As Minister of Infrastruture, I had line of sight into these processes and took steps to address inconsistencies and recommend improvements as part of my fiduciary duty. This included introducing Bill 13 and proposing a Financial Oversight Committee to review and advise on major government contracts. If implemented, such a committee could have been instrumental in preventing some of the issues we are now seeing in Alberta Health and AHS. Unfortunately, the majority of Cabinet does not appear to share my concerns.
For this reason, I have decided to step down and return to caucus as a private member, where I can continue to voice my concerns and hold Cabinet accountable with honesty and integrity.
It is essential that the public has confidence in its government and its processes. We were elected to be open, transparent, fiscally responsible and–above all , honest with Albertans.”
