Alberta UCP boots former cabinet minister from caucus for health scandal criticism

EDMONTON — Alberta’s United Conservative Party has expelled its former infrastructure minister from caucus over his repeated criticism of the government’s handling of the health-care contract scandal.

“Criticizing government comes at a cost,” Peter Guthrie told reporters Wednesday.

“I was asking for openness, transparency, honesty and, instead of embracing that, the government has done everything that they can to impede processes, those very processes that could exonerate them,” he said.

“In doing so, they make themselves look culpable.”

Guthrie’s expulsion comes after he rose in the house Monday and said Premier Danielle Smith’s government is obstructing auditor general Doug Wylie’s investigation and “muzzling” government officials by hiring lawyers to facilitate interviews.

Guthrie then sided with the Opposition NDP and voted on a non-binding motion to call a public inquiry. The scandal, which has dominated question period throughout the spring session, has prompted half a dozen investigations, including one by the RCMP.

The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed by the former head of Alberta Health Services. Athana Mentzelopoulos claims she was wrongfully fired in January for looking into sweetheart deals, high-level political interference and corruption in multimillion-dollar health contracts.

The government and AHS have said Mentzelopoulos was fired because she was failing in her job and working to stop mandated health reform.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Guthrie gave up his ministerial position to sit as a backbencher, saying he shared the concerns about government contracting processes.

Guthrie said Wednesday more than 80 per cent of his former caucus mates haven’t read the lawsuit or the government’s rebuttal.

“I liken it to somebody who doesn’t want to go to the doctor because they don’t want to find out that something is wrong,” he said.

“When this became public, there was a fiduciary duty of all these individuals to make themselves aware, and they haven’t done that.”

He added that he has made a submission to the auditor general as part of that probe.

Later Wednesday, sitting as an Independent on the opposite side of the house, Guthrie tabled a resignation letter addressed to the premier for when he resigned from cabinet.

In it, Guthrie accuses Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange of misleading a health cabinet committee about their knowledge of the procurement issues and ignoring his requests for more information.

He wrote the deception led to the dismissal of the Alberta Health Services board in late January.

The letter says that a majority of cabinet, not including himself or Jobs Minister Matt Jones, was “satisfied that the practice of withholding pertinent decision-making details was justifiable and one in which they could support.”

“If we can normalize deception in government business practices, what other indiscretions may emerge?” Guthrie said in the letter.

“This is not why we were elected; this is not what Albertans expect, and premier, this was not why I supported you as leader.”

In an email, Smith’s press secretary Sam Blackett said Guthrie was “mistaken” about the purpose of a cabinet committee meeting referenced in the letter and denied withholding relevant information.

Jones’ office did not immediately return requests for comment.

Smith has denied any wrongdoing and insisted her government is not obstructing the auditor general’s investigation. She has said the top priority is getting to the bottom of the allegations.

Opposition NDP house leader Christina Gray grilled Smith during question period on Guthrie’s letter and what the premier knew and when. Smith reiterated that the health minister flagged the procurement issues in mid-2024.

“There’s nothing new here,” Smith said of the letter.

Asked about Guthrie’s assertion that most UCP caucus members haven’t sought information on the allegations, Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said he’s waiting for the investigations to conclude.

“I don’t know exactly what went on,” McIver said. “No one said it out loud. MLA Guthrie hasn’t said it out loud. Nobody else has said it out loud.”

Asked about Guthrie’s expulsion, chief government whip Shane Getson told reporters that choices have consequences.

“If an individual can’t stay within the team environment that we’re discussing as a team, then ultimately, that was his decision,” he said. “We want to get to the end of the results as much as everybody else, but he expects a different route.

“It’s the old adage … if you love something, let it go.”

Former UCP legislature member Scott Sinclair is also sitting as an Independent. He was booted from the caucus last month for threatening to vote against the government’s budget, as he felt rural communities were being underfunded at the expense of Edmonton and Calgary.

Sinclair, who also voted with the NDP for a public inquiry, said he was disappointed in Smith and the decision to expel Guthrie.

“Giving up a cabinet position … is extremely, extremely courageous,” Sinclair said, adding that he feels Guthrie did the right thing.

“We should be standing beside him.”

— With files from Lisa Johnson

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press