Whistle blowers descend on the Alberta Legislature UNA President Heather Smith will be speaking at the Rally.
On Saturday, March 26th at 1 p.m. Friends of Medicare will host a rally on the steps of the Legislature building in Edmonton to demand the immediate launch of a public inquiry to investigate serious allegations about the function and management of our health care system in Alberta. This public inquiry must investigate whether health care staff were subjected to intimidation that would prevent them from speaking out about issues that would affect patient care, as outlined by terms of reference put forward by
all members sitting in opposition at the Provincial Legislature of Alberta. This public inquiry must also investigate the root causes of the capacity problems that have compromised the timely and efficient delivery of public health services in this province. "We need to know why our public
health system has not kept pace with the needs of our population," says David Eggen, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, "and we need to know if health care staff were deterred from speaking out on this or any other issue that might compromise the health of patients." A public inquiry is essential to provide clarity, comprehensiveness, and constructive closure to what has been a tumultuous time for public health care in this province. A public inquiry is clearly defined in provincial legislation. A public inquiry can: 1. Subpoena individuals to testify and grant immunity to witnesses 2. Release its own transparent report without interference from the government 3. Order searches and seizures "A public inquiry has the tools to do the job right, without interference from the ministry or anyone else", says Eggen. "This government doesn't have the moral authority or the credibility to fix the health care mess that they themselves created. An independent inquiry is required so that we can clear the air and move on." |
