Alberta cabinet minister resigns, citing concerns over procurement
CBC
Alberta Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie has resigned from his position, citing a lack of confidence in the government's procurement practices.
Peter Guthrie, the United Conservative Party MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane, posted his letter of resignation from cabinet to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday morning.
"In recent months, I have voiced concerns regarding the Government of Alberta's procurement practices across all departments," Guthrie wrote.
"As Minister of Infrastructure, 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 passed, Bill 13, the Real Property Governance Act, would require provincial agencies, boards and commissions to give the province first right of refusal when they're selling surplus land and buildings.
The proposed change affects Alberta's post-secondary institutions, school jurisdictions and charter schools, Alberta Health Services and numerous government organizations, including the Alberta Social Housing Corporation.
"If implemented, such a committee could have been instrumental in preventing some of the issues we are not seeing in Alberta Health and AHS. Unfortunately, the majority of Cabinet does not appear to share my concerns," Guthrie said.
"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."
Earlier this month, Guthrie urged Premier Danielle Smith to remove Health Minister Adriana LaGrange from her post while investigations continue into serious allegations a fired Alberta Health Services CEO has made about major health contracts.
In a memo sent to his cabinet colleagues, Guthrie urged quick action, and a readiness to hand any potential criminal matters to the RCMP.
Alberta's NDP Opposition on Tuesday repeated its calls for the government to call a judge-led public inquiry, and for the health minister to step down.
NDP House leader Christina Gray said the Opposition plans to call for an emergency debate in the legislature Tuesday afternoon, a measure that requires the consent of every MLA.
"We will be asking every minister about the allegations," Gray said. "We will be leaving no stone unturned because Albertans deserve answers."
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