Alberta’s Auditor General, Doug Wylie, just got nearly $1 million more in emergency funding. This support will enable him to expand his investigation into claims of corruption related to private health-care contracts. This request has been prompted by alarming statements made by the former CEO of Alberta Health Services. It comes after almost five months of investigation led by Wylie and his staff.
The new funding of $990,000 will allow these states to bring on specialists to deepen the legal analysis and provide legal advice. Wylie underlined the need for such expertise given the massive scale of documents and in-person interviews the investigation entails. Otherwise, he told members, his office wouldn’t be able to get any of this work done.
“If the extra $990,000 in funding were to be denied, we would have to stop the work,” – Doug Wylie
Wylie’s investigation started in earnest after whistleblower accusations from former head of Alberta Health Services, Dr. As the probe widened, so too has the scope of the investigation, forcing a growing need for external audit support. Wylie noted that this review is wide-reaching and complicated. It requires the backing of a cadre of experts armed with advanced technologies and expertise. We need that external audit support help us scale to the amount of work needed.
The investigation could not be more timely or necessary. Wylie was not able to give a figure for the internal staffing costs associated with the inquiry. Indeed, he said with some authority, his office has no shortage of motivation to see the investigation finished quickly. He said he doesn’t have a clear date for when it will be completed.
“We simply do not have the resources,” – Doug Wylie
Chelsae Petrovic, a member of the Alberta legislature, emphasized how important the new money is. She did not mince words in saying that the state needs to approve these funds. It’ll make sure the Auditor General’s critical work can keep going strong.
Wylie’s tenure as Auditor General runs until April 2026. He is utterly committed to getting to the bottom of these grave accusations. Our investigation has drawn strong interest from local advocacy groups and other stakeholders. Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has been quite vocal about the harm done by further delaying action on these issues.
“If they had called a public inquiry ages ago, we would have been able to save a lot of trouble and a lot of taxpayer money,” – Naheed Nenshi
