AHS firing sends signals
There is some support for Health Minister Fred Horne’s decision to fire the Alberta Health Services board.
However, I think it was a mistake that may come back to haunt the government in several ways.
It may be that having a board oversee daily activities is not the best way to improve the health-care system, but if so, I would have expected that decision to have been made after the recently announced governance review was complete, not before.
Firing the board for honouring employment contracts that were already in place smacks of political convenience.
Here’s what I think the long-term consequences of Horne’s action will be:
Those who consider the government an arrogant bully will find further evidence to support that view.
The government, supposedly the guardian of all things legal, will be seen to be breaking employment contracts retroactively and possibly illegally.
The move will send shock waves through the public service, hurting morale and causing potential recruits to think twice.
The impact on staff morale and effectiveness at AHS will be particularly significant. I hope Horne doesn’t think this is the way to get more commitment, co-operation, innovation and support from AHS workers.
It will be clear to all that there is no such thing as an independent or arm’s length board in Alberta. Those who worry about the objectivity of the new Alberta Energy Regulator, for example, may lose all faith in this board’s ability to make independent decisions.
By firing the “experts” it hired to oversee the system, the government may find it more difficult to find competent, principled people to serve on boards and agencies. Those who do accept the challenge will be regarded with suspicion.
Finally, the suggestion that the new administrator will examine the pros and cons of awarding executive bonuses according to existing contracts and make an objective decision insults us all.
Some say the administration of health care in Alberta has become dysfunctional. I agree, but not because of the former AHS board. It is dysfunctional because of decisions made by government over the years.
C. D. Radke, Edmonton