Drama in Alberta's United Conservative Party (UCP) over the brewing AHS scandal, which now involves the RCMP, is ramping up.
Peter Guthrie, UCP MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane and former Alberta infrastructure minister, has been barred from attending UCP caucus meetings for 30 days following his abrupt resignation from Premier Danielle Smith’s cabinet.
The decision, confirmed on Friday by CBC, places Guthrie in a probation period, though he retains his seat alongside UCP colleagues in the legislature.
Guthrie left his cabinet role on February 25, citing concerns over government procurement practices amid the escalating Alberta Health Services (AHS) scandal.
In his resignation letter posted to social media, he said, “In recent months, I have voiced concerns regarding the Government of Alberta’s procurement practices across all departments. Unfortunately, the majority of cabinet does not appear to share my concerns.”
He added, “For this reason, I have decided to step down and return to caucus as a private member, where I can continue to voice my concerns and hold cabinet accountable with honesty and integrity.”
The AHS controversy, involving allegations of inflated contracts and political interference, prompted Guthrie’s exit and has since sparked an RCMP investigation.
His resignation followed claims by former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos that she was fired for probing questionable contracts — an issue Guthrie hinted at in his departure.
“I’m not going to stand by and see potential corruption exists within government and be a part of that,” Guthrie said, quoted by the Globe and Mail.