By Canadian Press

Opposition calls for Alberta health minister to be fired over failed deal with doctors

Mar 31, 2021 | 12:02 PM

EDMONTON – The Alberta Opposition says the collapse of a new master agreement with doctors shows it’s time Tyler Shandro is fired as health minister.

NDP health critic David Shepherd says members of the Alberta Medical Association rejected the proposed deal because of the”abusive behaviour” of Shandro and his ministry toward physicians over the last year.

Shandro unilaterally tore up the previous agreement with doctors early last year, then brought in fee and program changes that ignited a public fight with the province’s 11,000 physicians all played out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doctors voted 53 per cent against the new deal brokered by the medical association and Shandro’s ministry.

Shepherd says he has heard from doctors that a key deal-breaker was a proposal that would have resulted in the association giving up the right to third-party arbitration.

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He says doctors told him they could not accept losing arbitration rights, which would give the final say on all disputes to a minister they do not trust.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2021.

The Canadian Press