NDP Health Critic David Shepherd issued the following statement:

"The significant number of Albertans who have been forced to wait for their surgery or diagnostic imaging is due in part to Jason Kenney’s failure to act as the second wave rose and crashed into our hospital system.

“Now, Kenney and Tyler Shandro plan to Americanize our healthcare and layoff 11,000 frontline healthcare heroes.

“Kenney’s plan to bring more American-style profit into our public healthcare system will harm Alberta patients and taxpayers. Shandro has already been caught scheming with lobbyists, property developers and UCP donors to build a private, for-profit hospital in Edmonton.

“Every dollar taken out of Alberta healthcare as corporate profit is a dollar not available to strengthen the public system that has served Albertans so well through this pandemic."