Let trusted officials take lead on vaccine rollout

Inconsistent messaging from Kenney sows mistrust, says Rachel Notley.

When leading through a crisis, politicians should probably not be agents of chaos themselves. I say this as a politician and as someone who has experience leading in a crisis.

Albertans have been living with the COVID -19 pandemic for 10 months. For 10 months they have watched daily updates, tracked daily case counts, and mourned the loss of friends, neighbours and loved ones. For 10 months they've seen rising unemployment, continued hardship for businesses, and an economy that is lagging behind the rest of the country.

So now, the availability and distribution of vaccines are offering Albertans a sense that there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. But, for vaccines to deliver on the hope they promise, we need a clear plan that achieves widespread vaccination. And probably the most important element in that plan is public trust in the officials leading it.

Herein lies the problem.

Even before this latest scandal, Albertans had trust issues with Jason Kenney. This has been made substantially worse by the premier's ever-evolving mixed messaging on Alberta's vaccine program.

In the last week alone, the premier has changed his timeline for public access to the vaccine from summer of 2021, to fall 2021, to spring 2021. For the record, the Government of Alberta website tells us that we can expect public availability in the fall of 2021.

In addition to making confusing and contradictory statements about vaccine timelines, Kenney risks more chaos by wading into vaccine procurement, threatening to circumvent Health Canada.

Experts rightly point out that reducing vaccine hesitancy among Albertans requires trust between the public and their leaders.

The premier's threats to make an end-run around our national health authority, the very organization tasked with ensuring the safety of vaccines, directly contradicts the goal of improving public trust.

These are not the words or actions of a leader who has control of the situation.

Recent polls tell us that Albertans are the most dissatisfied with the premier's handling of the pandemic and are the least likely to say they will take the vaccine when it is available to them. Regaining the trust of Albertans cannot happen while the premier continues to make himself the centre of the vaccine program. His public communication has been erratic, confusing, and inconsistent.

Recently, former conservative political adviser, Ken Boessenkool, generously offered his advice to Premier Kenney and his new chief of staff. Among his recommendations was that Kenney remove himself from the limelight on the vaccination program, and let trusted public officials take centre stage.

This week, I echoed that recommendation in my call to have daily, detailed, public updates provided by Alberta's COVID -19 Vaccine Task Force. At the heart of this request is an effort to provide Albertans the confidence that comes from highly detailed, expert, and reliable information. The importance of this cannot be understated.

Agreement from folks on all sides of the political spectrum on the need for regular, reliable information should present an opportunity for Kenney to build bridges, rebuild trust, and ensure the success of this critical venture. Without it, I fear we will continue to receive mixed messages, half-truths, and political spin and that the public's distrust of this premier will continue to be a barrier to our fight against this pandemic.

Widespread vaccination will mean we can look to a future where we can see our friends and loved ones without fear of putting them, or ourselves, at risk. A future where we can reignite our economy, reopen businesses, and get people back to work.

For the sake of our collective future, of our well-being, of our health-care system, and our economy, we cannot afford to get this wrong.