Alberta's health quality council will have the power to run public inquiries and will report directly to the legislature under new proposed legislation.
The changes are designed to allow for a public inquiry on doctor intimidation, a key promise Premier Alison Redford made during the leadership campaign.
Health minister Fred Horne introduced the bill Monday and said the new powers would allow for a more effective inquiry to fulfil the premier's pledge.
“The legislation delivers on that commitment, by setting the stage for such an inquiry.”
The government already has power to call inquiries under the public inquiries act. This new legislation mirrors that bill in many respects, but when cabinet orders an inquiry the council will pick a panel to run it. Under the current act cabinet selects someone, usually a sitting judge, to run the inquiry.
“It was important in this circumstance, given the nature of a health system inquiry and the allegations that have been made, that Albertans would not want to see cabinet directly appointing the members of the inquiry panel,” said Horne.
Public inquiries are generally judge-lead, but the council would have the authority to post anyone and even multiple people to sit on a panel.
Horne said he chose to introduce new legislation rather than use the existing act to strengthen the rules around patient confidentiality. He said he also wanted to make it clear any inquiry could require people to testify in spite of any non-disclosure agreements they might have signed.
He also said the council will be better at handling inquiries involving the health system.
“I think it is important that that knowledge and expertise is brought to bear when they decide who they want to appoint to the panel.”
Horne said when the legislation is passed the government will ask the council to conduct an inquiry into doctor intimidation in line with the premier's promise.
The council is currently doing a review of the issue and is due to issue a report in February. Horne said he won't ask the council to start an inquiry until the review is completed.
“A lot of people have invested a lot of time and effort and quite frankly good will in going to the health quality council and participating in the interviews. I think it would be irresponsible of government to launch a parallel process along the same track.”
The review does not have the authority to compel people to testify or subpoena documents, but an inquiry under the proposed bill will.
Opposition critics were less impressed with the new bill. David Swann with the Alberta Liberals said it serves no purpose.
“It is redundant. It is costly. It is misdirected. We have a public inquiries act. The question for the premier is why does she want to re-invent the wheel?”
Swann believes the new bill is simply meant to delay an inquiry so it doesn’t draw focus in an election campaign.
“This is a smoke-screen, a delaying tactic and desire to postpone any information about the public inquiry until well after the election.”
