NDP MLAs took aim at public servants on Tuesday for aiding former Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard in her trip to Hawaii during the COVID-19 pandemic..The Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts committee was meeting to discuss the 2021 Annual Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts..Alberta’s Official Opposition largely focused on Allard’s trip to Hawaii, which came in December 2020 during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and amid Alberta’s ban on indoor or outdoor gatherings, in-person dining, and limits on retail capacities, as well as a recommendation against travel..The department understood the order not to travel, yet it helped Allard prepare for travel to a foreign country, said NDP MLA Marlin Schmidt..“I wish that the department would have encouraged the minister more strongly to follow the health order,” he said. .Allard resigned her cabinet role after details of her trip emerged..The bureaucracy also helped Allard prepare by upgrading her cell phone plan and providing advice about logging onto the hotel wifi, Schmidt said. .“Did anyone give advice to the minister that maybe jetting off to Hawaii during the middle of an emergency was a bad idea,” Schmidt asked..“No,” said Brandy Cox, deputy minister of the ministry of municipal affairs. Cox reiterated throughout the meeting that the public health emergency was made under the Public Health Act, and as such, fell under the purview of the Health minister. .NDP MLA Marie Renaud was concerned that Allard had left the country without informing the necessary chain of command — and that she was unreachable, especially while on a flight to Hawaii. She asked what lessons were learned about the incident. .“I’m confident I could have reached…who I needed to, in order to execute a decision if in fact, one was required — which it was not” responded Cox. .No review was done of the incident and no lessons were learned because no issues arose during Allard’s absence, Cox said..Premier Jason Kenney responded to Allard’s trip by issuing a new “clear directive” to government officials not to travel internationally..A number of politicians and government staffers travelled abroad over the holidays..Rachel Emmanuel is the Edmonton Bureau Chief for the Western Standard.remmanuel@westernstandard.news
