Alberta Auditor-General Doug Wylie, shown in 2019, is in the midst of an investigation into contracting and procurement in the province’s health care system.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
Alberta’s Auditor-General is racing to complete his investigation into procurement practices in the province’s health care system within the next six months, after the government rejected his proposal to extend his contract until the probe is finished.
Doug Wylie’s eight-year term as the province’s Auditor-General expires at the end of April, 2026. The governing United Conservative Party on Monday confirmed it would conduct a search to fill the position, noting Mr. Wylie is welcome to apply for the job.
Mr. Wylie, in an interview, said he offered to stick around for two years so he could wrap up major files, including the investigation into contracting and procurement in Alberta’s health care system. The Globe and Mail in February first reported that Alberta Health Services’s former chief executive alleged the government had interfered in the procurement process in ways that favoured private companies, sparking controversy.
The government fired the CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos, in January, two days before she was scheduled to discuss her concerns with Mr. Wylie. The government, meanwhile, alleges Ms. Mentzelopoulos was fired for incompetence. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Alberta minister says he was aware of alleged misuse of public funds in procurement at health agency
On Monday, Mr. Wylie said his office has been working flat-out on the procurement investigation, making it difficult to accelerate any further. However, given the UCP’s decision to conduct a search to fill his position, Mr. Wylie said he hopes to complete the probe by the end of April.
“We’re going to try to get that piece done before I leave,” he said. “I really want to see that through. That was my whole focus for the offer to stay on.”
He conceded this may be difficult given the scale of the investigation. Mr. Wylie said his team is still conducting interviews.
“We are still in the thick of it,” he said. “We’re not anywhere near the finalization of that process or getting into any form of reporting.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith last month touted a report from Raymond Wyant, a retired judge from Manitoba she appointed to conduct an independent review, as evidence politicians and political staff did nothing wrong. However, Mr. Wyant noted he could not make “a final and absolute determination” regarding allegations of interference by government officials. He did not have the power to interview people under oath and did not question any elected politicians.
The RCMP are also investigating the allegations of contracting and procurement irregularities in the health care system.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government has dismantled Alberta Health Services, replacing it with separate entities.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The Official Opposition decried the UCP’s decision to conduct a search for Mr. Wylie’s job as a backdoor way to avoid accountability.
“The UCP government effectively chose to fire the Auditor-General that is currently investigating them,” David Shepherd, a member of the New Democratic Party, told reporters.
Scott Cyr, a UCP MLA, said the forthcoming search to fill Mr. Wylie’s job is a product of legislative mechanics rather than malice.
“The allegation that we are firing him is completely false,” he told the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices on Monday. “Mr. Wylie is able to put his name forward for the position again.”
He added: “We want the best person to be put forward.”
Sam Blackett, a spokesman for the Premier, responded to questions by forwarding a press release from the UCP caucus.
“The Auditor-General plays a vital role in ensuring government accountability,” Brandon Lunty, a UCP MLA and chair of the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices, said in the statement. “The upcoming competition will ensure that this important oversight role continues to be carried out with the highest standards of professionalism and independence.”
Alberta minister says he was aware of alleged misuse of public funds in procurement at health agency
Mr. Wylie on Monday noted the government asked him to audit the organizations that make up the UCP’s redesigned health care system. The Premier has dismantled Alberta Health Services and replaced it with separate entities.
The Auditor-General said he requested $977,000 to pay for the audits, but government deferred the funding decision until December. His office conducted a competition to outsource some of the work but had not yet signed the contract, he added.
The delay baffled him.
“It is not as if anybody’s going to do these audits for free.”
Mr. Wylie added that his 2023 investigation into the UCP’s attempt to privatize community lab testing by contracting to the private sector will be released very soon. The government reversed its deal with DynaLIFE when it resulted in bottlenecks, which reduced government coffers.