Guthrie breaks with UCP caucus, calls for public inquiry into AHS corruption allegations

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A United Conservative MLA is breaking with caucus ranks and calling on the government to launch a judge-led public inquiry into allegations of corruption around procurement at Alberta Health Services (AHS) and accusing it of gagging him from speaking further.

Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie was dropped from cabinet and issued a suspension from caucus in February after calling for Health Minister Adriana LaGrange to be moved to a new position while the six investigations, including from the auditor general and RCMP, into the AHS allegations are underway.

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After leaving cabinet, he also told Postmedia that “something doesn’t sit right with me,” and “we should have core values, and being against corruption should be one of those.”

On Monday, he rose in the house to table a pair of columns in Postmedia and called out the government on his prolonged caucus suspension.

“To properly represent my constituents, I cannot be held in perpetuity to a suspension from caucus, which comes with a gag order,” he said in the assembly.

“I am now at day 48 of my so-called 30-day suspension, impeding my democratic right to fully represent the people of Airdrie-Cochrane.”

Guthrie tabled a Postmedia column by three doctors seeking “one inquiry to rule them all,” noting the limits to the half dozen ongoing investigations and arguing that a public inquiry was the only way to get to the bottom of what happened.

He also tabled an April 11 column by Calgary Herald columnist Don Braid with the headline, “Government tries to deflect auditor general to lawyers — No way, says Auditor General Doug Wylie.”

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The column notes recent revelations from the Opposition that Alberta Health told civil servants to direct queries from the auditor general’s office to its lawyers, something Wylie’s office described as “not a standard practice” while also contradicting statements from LaGrange that he knew about the government involving its legal team.

Earlier Monday, Justice Minister Mickey Amery defended Alberta Health directing employees to go through its lawyers, insisting it was standard practice.

“What we were doing was we were establishing a single point of entry,” he said.

After tabling the columns, Guthrie told reporters inside the legislature that he agreed with the sentiment in both articles.

“If we have nothing to hide, we should take that path,” he said of a public inquiry.

He went on to describe the government’s approach to the auditor general’s investigation as “obstructionist.”

“I would like to see people feel free to be able to share their thoughts with the auditor general without feeling that there may be retribution for them.”

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He said he used the tablings as a “clear way, or maybe a mechanism” to convey his message. Since leaving cabinet, he has sat in the house alongside the UCP backbenchers.

Postmedia has reached out to the office of Premier Danielle Smith as well as the UCP caucus for reaction.

The government has so far rejected the Opposition’s calls for a public inquiry, saying the ongoing investigations were sufficient.

mblack@postmedia.com

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