MINISTER OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS MUST STEP DOWN FOR TAKING HAWAII VACATION WHILE VACCINE ROLLOUT WAS MISHANDLED

EDMONTON – Alberta’s NDP is calling for the Minister of Municipal Affairs to step down as reports surface that she was on vacation in Hawaii while the rollout of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine was mishandled by the UCP Government.

CBC is reporting that Minister Tracy Allard was in Hawaii this month. The Minister is responsible for emergency management and her Deputy Minister, who reports directly to her, is in charge of the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this week, it was revealed that UCP had vaccinated only 7,000 Alberta health-care workers when it promised to have administered an initial dose to 29,000 by the end of the year.

“Serious mistakes have been made with our only long-term weapon against the COVID-19 virus and it turns out the minister responsible for the rollout of the program was vacationing in Hawaii,” said NDP Municipal Affairs Critic Joe Ceci. “She vacationed while Albertans have been sitting in their homes through the holidays, following strict public health orders and separated from family and friends while waiting on the vaccine. This goes beyond just a member of the Government Caucus or a member of the Government Cabinet — Minister Allard is in charge of emergency management. She has made an unforgivable error and must resign her position immediately.”

In Ontario, the Minister of Finance has resigned from Cabinet after it was revealed he went to the Caribbean on vacation while that province is under strict lockdown measures.

Alberta’s NDP is calling for the UCP to immediately reveal how many of its Cabinet Ministers and MLAs have left the country since the Legislature rose in early December as it has been revealed the MLA for Lesser-Slave Lake also went to Mexico and rumours continue to swirl about out-of-country vacations taken by other key Cabinet Ministers.

“The UCP has been withholding information from the media and the people of this province about their vacation plans for days now,” Ceci said. “They owe it to all of us to explain who is not at their post during what is likely the worst public health emergency Albertans have ever faced.”