What happened?

Danielle Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange have failed Albertans. Their UCP government faces serious allegations of corruption. In a statement of claim, former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos alleges the UCP government interfered in bloated contracts favouring private surgery providers instead of Albertans, benefiting their friends  and  insiders.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?

DANIELLE SMITH MUST STEP ASIDE IMMEDIATELY

The Premier’s office is directly implicated in these allegations. It’s alleged staff pressured AHS employees to approve corrupt deals. The Premier cannot oversee an investigation looking into corruption within her own office and her own government. That’s a conflict.

She must step aside while a public inquiry is underway.

FIRE HEALTH MINISTER ADRIANA LAGRANGE

Adriana LaGrange can’t do her job. She not only failed to stop this egregious misconduct but she also stripped AHS employees of their ability to fairly negotiate contracts after concerns were raised.

The Premier cannot allow her to continue in her role. That undermines public trust and threatens the credibility of any investigation. She must be removed immediately as a first step toward accountability.

CALL A PUBLIC INQUIRY NOW

The gravity of these allegations, including political interference in healthcare contracts, inflated pricing benefiting private interests, and the wrongful dismissal of a whistleblower, demands an independent public inquiry with full transparency.

Albertans deserve an unbiased, independent, judicial inquiry that cannot be manipulated by the UCP government.

“The Premier, Health Minister, and all those implicated need to do the right thing and step aside now to ensure there is no political interference in these investigations.”

— Naheed Nenshi

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • The allegations paint a deeply troubling picture of corruption and political interference at the highest levels of government. 

    Premier Danielle Smith’s office, including her former chief of staff, is accused of pressuring AHS executives to approve private surgical contracts. These bloated contracts are alleged to cost at least double what it costs to perform a surgery in a public hospital.

    Evidence suggests that AHS paid inflated prices for private surgical services. These benefited insiders with ties to the United Conservative Party government.

    These allegations suggest a pattern of abuse of power, a blatant disregard for due diligence, and an alarming misuse of public funds.

  • The list of implicated individuals reaches to the highest levels of the UCP government:

    Premier Danielle Smith – Her office is alleged to have put pressure and forced AHS to sign bloated private surgical contracts​.

    Marshall Smith (Former Chief of Staff to Premier Smith) – Accused in the allegations of personally intervening in contract negotiations to push for bloated deals​.

    Health Minister Adriana LaGrange – Allegedly stripped AHS of its authority to negotiate surgical contracts when internal concerns were raised, consolidating decision-making within her department and bypassing normal oversight, as well as firing whistleblowers and the board of AHS.

  • This scandal has already inflicted damage on Alberta’s healthcare system, and the consequences will be long-lasting if not properly addressed:

    • Loss of trust – Albertans are right to question whether their healthcare system is being run for their benefit or for the financial gain of UCP-connected insiders.

    • Potential criminal liability – Potential criminal liability – the former CEO and board of AHS were so concerned about these bloated contracts they wanted the RCMP called in to investigate. The government fired them all before that could happen.

    • Harm to patient care – Diverting public funds to overpriced private contracts risks deepening the crisis in public hospitals, worsening wait times and increasing staffing shortages

  • There are multiple investigations currently underway:

    The RCMP is aware of the allegations. The Alberta New Democrat Caucus has written the RCMP to call for an investigation.

    The Alberta Auditor General is reviewing procurement practices at AHS and Alberta Health.

    AHS’s internal review is being conducted under the oversight of a government-appointed administrator, raising serious concerns about credibility and independence.

    Given that this scandal implicates the Premier’s own office, an independent public inquiry—with full transparency and subpoena power—is the only way to ensure accountability. Anything less is a government-led cover-up.

  • The Premier has attempted to downplay the allegations while maintaining control over the investigation process. 

    Despite calls for accountability, she:

    • Removed the Deputy Health Minister to create the illusion of action, but she has not taken any steps to remove Health Minister Adriana LaGrange from her role. 

    • Insists on blaming Alberta Health Services instead of taking accountability for the actions of her staff and her government

    • Continues to push for more private surgical contracts, even after secret AHS documents reveal private surgeries cost double compared to a surgery in a public hospital.

  • The UCP government has failed to explain why any of this happened. In stead, the facts show that:

    • The prices negotiated for CSF contracts were higher than comparable agreements, with some deals pushing hundreds of millions in profits to private operators​.

    • The government actively interfered in the procurement process, overriding AHS’s concerns rather than ensuring transparency and fairness​.

    • Ethical concerns abound—a senior AHS procurement official was allegedly involved with both Alberta Health and private CSF companies at the same time.