Photo: Chris Schwarz / Government of Alberta

By Canadian Press

UCP backbencher urges Kenney to admit he botched COVID-19 response, take action

Sep 15, 2021 | 1:10 PM

One of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s legislature members is calling on him to admit he botched the fourth wave of COVID-19 and to outline a plan to fix it.

Leela Aheer, in a posting on Twitter, says the leader of the United Conservative government needs to show some humility in the face of the crisis that is pushing the provincial health system to the brink of collapse.

Aheer was critical of Kenney’s actions earlier in the pandemic and was kicked out of cabinet in early July, although the premier denied the demotion was punishment for her remarks.

Kenney’s COVID-19 cabinet committee has been meeting for two days to find a solution to spiralling cases that have pushed intensive care beds beyond normal capacity and forced mass cancellation of non-urgent surgeries.

The province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said this week that the government’s decision in early July to drop almost all health restrictions was wrong and set the fuse on the current skyrocketing caseload.

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Kenney has resisted calls to implement a vaccine passport, which is now being put in place in other provinces and would deny access to places like restaurants, pubs and sports events to those who are not fully vaccinated.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press