Premier Jason Kenney is rejecting accusations that he is blaming Dr. Deena Hinshaw for Alberta’s failures in the handling of the fourth wave of COVID-19.
Kenney says the buck stops with him.
Q!
Are you blaming Hinshaw for Alberta not taking actions in late August?
Kenney says its ridiculous misconstrued of what he said. Ads he takes ultimate responsibility for policy.
When they received advice, they act quickly.
Says he was being transparent.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) November 3, 2021
He says he was being transparent this week when he told the legislature that he didn’t do more to reduce rising COVID-19 cases in August because he didn’t get any recommendations from Hinshaw.
Hinshaw, who is the province’s chief medical officer of health, says she did not make any recommendations because the situation looked to be under control, with cases rising but the number of intensive care patients remaining stable.
She says she recommended action at the end of August when ICU cases went up.
Dr. Hinshaw, what do you make of the comments made by premier?
Hinshaw says the timeline presented in Kenney's comments are accurate, including move to endemic.
As for sharing recommendations publicly forward, says those remain private to the cabinet committee.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) November 3, 2021
Kenney’s government brought in new measures in early September.
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley says Kenney is passing the buck and needs to take responsibility for the government’s failure in the fourth wave.
