Some consultants name Alberta Well being Service administrator Dr. John Cowell’s $1,400 journey expense “problematic” and says it erodes public confidence within the authorities and AHS executives.
In keeping with public paperwork, Cowell took a $1,404 automobile journey between Calgary and Edmonton to carry conferences and attend the throne speech final November.
An AHS spokesperson despatched the next assertion to QR Calgary:
“Dr. Cowell had a day of journey between Calgary and Edmonton to carry conferences and attend the Speech from the Throne, requiring the usage of a automobile to allow him to work and reply calls of a delicate nature whereas on the street, and in addition the price of an in a single day keep.
“The price of the journey is the same as or higher than airfare, lodge, parking and taxi use.
“Dr. Cowell’s bills fall inside the Authorities of Alberta’s expense coverage, which permits reimbursement for the price of utilizing a third-party automobile, equivalent to a city automobile or taxi.
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Cowell didn’t reply to QR Calgary’s requests for remark.
Scott Johnston, press secretary for Alberta’s Ministry of Well being, despatched a press release to QR Calgary that’s precisely the identical as AHS’s.
Lorian Hardcastle, an affiliate professor for the College of Calgary’s college of legislation and Cummings Faculty of Drugs, known as the problem “problematic.”
Hardcastle mentioned Cowell and AHS ought to have been extra conscious of the unhealthy optics surrounding such a big expense, particularly when Alberta’s well being care system is struggling financially.
She mentioned Albertans would need him to make use of taxpayers’ cash as sparingly as attainable.
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As compared, a round-trip flight from Calgary to Edmonton is greater than $320 on each WestJet and Air Canada. A spherical journey bus journey would have been round $200.
“For employees inside AHS who aren’t paid on the government stage, and even your common Albertan, the optics of this $1,400 three-hour journey is sort of problematic,” Hardcastle advised QR Calgary.
“Lots of people make that journey usually for work and lots of people work in locations that would not be a suitable quantity to pay again for that journey.
“I believe it is arduous to reconcile that with messages of belief and accountability and frugality that we hope to see from somebody in a management place.”
Hardcastle additionally mentioned lodging could possibly be made in order that Cowell wouldn’t should work on air for the hour.
“The flight may be very quick. If you cannot work on delicate paperwork for a really quick flight, it does not considerably minimize into your workday,” the affiliate professor mentioned.
“He actually had issues he may work on for the very quick flight that weren’t delicate in nature.”
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Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal College in Calgary, mentioned the optics are particularly unhealthy throughout a cost-of-living disaster.
She mentioned whereas AHS might imagine the expense is critical, the $1,400 automobile journey can be thought of a luxurious to most Albertans.
“It may have an effect on the general public notion of the methods through which the federal government is fastidiously managing taxpayer {dollars} at a time when many taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet,” Williams advised QR Calgary.
“Evidently the federal government isn’t cautious about taxpayers’ cash. There appears to be a way of entitlement or conceitedness or aloofness and an absence of sensitivity to the struggles of atypical Albertans.”
Williams mentioned the problem may additionally gasoline distrust between the general public, AHS and the United Conservative authorities.
Cowell was appointed as the only real administrator for AHS final November after Premier Danielle Smith scrapped the provincial well being authority’s 12-person governing board.
Smith has been important of AHS’s dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic and vowed to reorganize the complete administration construction of the healthcare physique.
“Themes of fiscal accountability and frugality are fairly central to (Finance Minister) Travis Toews and (Premier) Danielle Smith,” Williams mentioned.
“There’s undoubtedly an impatience with a authorities that does not comply with the principles or rules it expects Albertans to comply with, and that may be problematic for them.
“It may additionally have an effect on the impression of whether or not (Cowell) is somebody who needs to be trusted with fixing the well being care system.”
QR Calgary reached out to Toews’ workplace with requests for remark, however didn’t hear again in time for publication. The story will probably be up to date as soon as one is acquired.
Smith’s workplace referred QR Calgary’s request for remark to Well being Minister Jason Copping’s workplace.
–With information from World Information’ Adam Toy.
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