National

Alberta's auditor general granted extra $1M for health procurement probe

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jun, 2025 09:23 AM

Alberta's auditor general has been granted his request for nearly $1 million in extra funding to dig deeper into allegations of corruption in private health care contracts.

Auditor general Doug Wylie says the scope and complexity of the probe means his office needs to hire additional help and cover legal costs.

Members from both the United Conservative Party government and Opposition NDP who sit on the legislature committee that approved the request say Wylie is doing important work.

His investigation began earlier this year as a result of allegations made by the former head of Alberta Health Services, the provincial health authority.

Athana Mentzelopoulos is suing the government for wrongful dismissal, claiming she faced political interference on the job and was fired for looking into overpriced contracts.

The allegations have yet to be tested in court and the province has denied any wrongdoing, claiming instead that Mentzelopoulos was fired for poor job performance.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Economists more confident in Bank of Canada rate hold as inflation ticks up to 1.9%

Economists are more confident the Bank of Canada might pause its interest rate cuts next month — tariffs notwithstanding — as Canada's annual inflation rate ticked back up in January. Statistics Canada's consumer price index on Tuesday reported the annual inflation rate rose to 1.9 per cent last month, up from 1.8 per cent in December, as the effects from a full month of the federal government's GST break were offset by higher fuel costs.

Economists more confident in Bank of Canada rate hold as inflation ticks up to 1.9%

Most passengers injured in Pearson airport plane crash released from hospital: Delta

Delta Air Lines says all but two passengers injured Monday when a plane crashed and flipped on the tarmac at Toronto's Pearson airport have been released from hospitals as of this morning. Delta says in a social media post that 19 out of 21 passengers initially taken to Toronto-area hospitals have since been released as the investigation into the cause of the crash continues.

Most passengers injured in Pearson airport plane crash released from hospital: Delta

B.C. Labour Relations Board finds Starbucks made threats against pro-union employee

The B.C. Labour Relations Board has found Starbucks wrongfully made "threats of adverse consequences" against an employee for her unionization activity, but found the company had a "legitimate business reason" to close down its only unionized location in Vancouver.

B.C. Labour Relations Board finds Starbucks made threats against pro-union employee

Flu activity in B.C. peaking as COVID-19, respiratory virus decline

The BC Centre for Disease Control says influenza A infections remain high and continue to increase, with the percentage of tests returning positive up to 24 per cent in the week ending Feb. 1. That figure is more than double that of the 11.7 per cent reported between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28.

Flu activity in B.C. peaking as COVID-19, respiratory virus decline

Workers at B.C. LifeLabs file 72-hour strike notice over wages, benefits

The union representing about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs throughout British Columbia says it has issued a 72-hour strike notice to the employer. The B.C. General Employees' Union says in a news release that the action comes after months of negotiations and LifeLabs' refusal to bring wages and benefits in line with the cost of living.

Workers at B.C. LifeLabs file 72-hour strike notice over wages, benefits

Canada still top of mind for Trump, 'not a good place to be'

As President Donald Trump signed an executive order for reciprocal tariffs on Thursday that escalates his trade threats, his administration took aim at Canada's digital services tax as a major trade irritant. The White House sent out a document calling digital taxes in both Canada and France "unfair" for taxing American companies.