Saturday, December 27, 2025
ADVT 
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 granted extra $1M for health procurement probe

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

MORE National ARTICLES

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war
The federal government is providing about $20 million in funding to support British Columbia's forestry sector, part of Ottawa's effort to bolster the economy amid the Canada-U. S. trade war. Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says it's more important than ever to support the sector, which is subject to American duties on softwood lumber and now faces the additional threat of steep tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic
British Columbia's Highway Patrol says another commercial truck has hit an overpass in Metro Vancouver, causing no visible damage, but snarling traffic on Wednesday. Police say a load of lumber the tractor trailer was hauling along Highway 99 hit the Blundell Road overpass.

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins
Canadians can expect to feel the absence of the consumer carbon price at the pumps immediately but it may take longer to notice a difference in the price of other goods, a new report released Wednesday suggests. The analysis by Desjardins Economics comes less than a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and his new Liberal cabinet ordered that the consumer levy be set to zero on April 1.

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget
The budget released earlier this month shows the province was forecasting revenue of just over $2.5 billion from the tax in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while the estimated cost of the climate action tax credit was $995 million.

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget

Ottawa caps non-sufficient funds fees at $10 starting March 2026

Ottawa caps non-sufficient funds fees at $10 starting March 2026
Ottawa has put in place new rules limiting the fees banks can levy on customers who don't have enough in their accounts to cover a cheque or other pre-authorized charges. The updates, included in an order-in-council last week, cap non-sufficient funds fees at $10 for personal deposit accounts, prohibit charging more than one NSF fee in a period of two business days, and prohibit charging an NSF fee when an account shortfall is under $10.

Ottawa caps non-sufficient funds fees at $10 starting March 2026

Federal government promises $2.55B in low-cost loans to build Toronto rental homes

Federal government promises $2.55B in low-cost loans to build Toronto rental homes
The federal government is promising billions in low-cost financing to help build thousands of rental homes in Toronto, including more than a thousand affordable units. Ottawa says it will provide $2.55 billion in financing through its Apartment Construction Loan Program, to be administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Federal government promises $2.55B in low-cost loans to build Toronto rental homes