Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie says his suspension from the United Conservative caucus is impeding his ability to speak freely on behalf of his constituents, and he joined Opposition calls Monday for a judicial public inquiry into Alberta Health Services procurement.
"To properly represent my constituents, I cannot be held in perpetuity to a suspension from caucus which comes with a gag order," Guthrie stated in the Alberta Legislature on April 14. "I am now at day 48 of my so-called 30-day suspension, impeding my democratic right to fully represent the people of Airdrie-Cochrane."
During his remarks, Guthrie tabled two articles critical of the government's handling of the investigation.
"This highlights some of the very reasons I resigned from cabinet and why I called for a judicial review, co-operation with the RCMP, and our government’s full support of the investigation of the Auditor General," he said.
One article, he noted, described the current situation as "one of the most epic legal battles Alberta has ever seen." Another stated: "The only way to achieve full transparency is through a judicial public inquiry ... ensuring Albertans receive the truth."
Guthrie’s resignation as Minister of Infrastructure was announced on February 25.
In a letter posted to social media, he wrote: "In recent months, I have voiced concerns regarding the Government of Alberta's procurement practices across all departments," and said he had proposed a financial oversight committee. He stepped down, he wrote, because those reforms lacked cabinet support.
Premier Danielle Smith accepted the resignation the same day, stating: "We have pledged our government’s full cooperation and support to the Auditor General to expedite his review so we can have answers as soon as possible."
He was later suspended from the caucus following his resignation.
Later, during question period on Monday, NDP Health Critic Sarah Hoffman pressed Justice Minister Mickey Amery over internal instructions directing Alberta Health staff to consult legal counsel before speaking to the Auditor General.
"The senior ADM of Alberta Health is telling employees that if the Auditor General reaches out to them as part of the CorruptCare investigation, lawyer up," Hoffman said. "To the Minister of Justice: does this sound like transparency and full co-operation? Because to most Albertans it sounds like a cover-up."
Amery replied that the government had retained Rose LLP to handle the coordination of documents and interviews.
"Alberta Health retained a law firm to facilitate the production of 13,000 documents so far and to co-ordinate interviews with the civil service," he said. "Nobody is subject to a gag order. Nobody has been subject to a gag order."
In a later exchange, Hoffman tied Guthrie’s resignation to broader concerns.
"When the former Infrastructure minister resigned, he said, 'In recent months, I have voiced concerns regarding the Government of Alberta’s procurement practices across all departments,' and later today all MLAs will have a chance to vote yes or no on a true public inquiry."
She closed her speech with a direct appeal: "Who’s ready to stop the games? Who’s ready to stop the embarrassing talking points? Stand up. Vote with your conscience. Vote for an independent public inquiry."
Amery responded: "Proof positive has been demonstrated here; 13,000 documents have already been provided to the Auditor General. There are more to come."
Later that afternoon, the Legislature voted on Motion 521, introduced by Hoffman, calling on the government to launch a public inquiry under section 2 of Alberta's Public Inquiries Act. The motion proposed appointing a judge as commissioner and applying section 7 of the Act, which gives subpoena powers.
The motion was defeated 45–29. Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie voted in favour. Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt voted against it. Also voting in favour was Independent MLA Scott Sinclair, formerly of the UCP.
Following the vote, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi issued a written statement saying Guthrie was "entirely correct."
"If the government wanted to get out of the CorruptCare scandal, it would be so easy to just call a public inquiry, where the judge has the power to call witnesses and compel testimony under oath," Nenshi wrote. "Instead, the government lies. They obfuscate. They insert barriers to people getting the information ... Premier, stop the cover up and call a public inquiry now."
Guthrie remains the elected MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane and continues to sit as a government backbencher. As of April 14, he says he remains suspended from the UCP caucus and has not been reinstated.
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