PREMIER SHOWS LACK OF LEADERSHIP, COMPASSION AS HE STANDS BEHIND VACATIONING MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS MINISTER

EDMONTON – Alberta’s Premier has profoundly betrayed the trust of Albertans by refusing to remove his vacationing Municipal Affairs Minister, who went missing as the Government mishandled the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, says the leader of Alberta’s NDP.

Premier Jason Kenney condoned the actions of Minister Tracy Allard during a press conference Friday, one day after reports surfaced that the Minister spent the Christmas holidays in Hawaii while the vast majority of Albertans followed public health orders and stayed home, away from family and friends.

“This is the Premier and the UCP Government lacking moral judgment, lacking any compassion for the 4 million people in Alberta who were told they couldn’t see their parents and grandparents at Christmas,” said NDP Leader Rachel Notley.

“Premier, you turned people’s lives upside down on Dec. 12 and now you’re trying to weasel out on a technicality? This is a complete failure of leadership.”

Minister Allard’s Deputy Minister is responsible for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. The UCP Government fell far short of its promise to vaccinate 29,000 healthcare workers by the end of 2020. Minister Allard is also responsible for emergency management in the province and is vice-chair of the Government’s Emergency Management Cabinet Committee.

On Dec. 23, Minister Allard posted a video on Instagram wishing Albertans well over the holidays that had been shot previously in the Alberta Legislature rotunda.

“This clearly looks like the Minister was trying to deceive Albertans,” Notley said. “She wasn’t at the Legislature, she was sunbathing in Hawaii.”

The Premier also continued to dodge questions about just how many of his cabinet ministers and caucus members have vacationed abroad. Media reports have surfaced that Lesser-Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn was in Mexico and rumours continue to swirl about other UCP elected members flying out of the country as stricter public health measures were imposed.

“Albertans deserve to know the name of every single elected member who left the country,” Notley said. “Clearly, this UCP Government thinks it is above the rules. I think the people of Alberta will hold them accountable for those beliefs.”

All 24 NDP MLAs have spent the holidays in Alberta.