Tuesday, May 19:The Globe and Mail reports that Sam Jaber, who was appointed to the Invest Alberta board by premier Danielle Smith and who has served as chief financial officer of MHCare, one of the companies at the centre of a procurement scandal being investigated by the RCMP, has claimed to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) despite not having that accreditation.
Read more: Hidden Connections in the Skybox Photo
Wednesday, May 20:During a bipartisan committee meeting to discuss Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian petition, the UCP government releases a statement announcing the committee’s decision, before it had been reached. The statement said the committee was in favour of initiating a province-wide vote on separation. The UCP says the statement was “distributed in error.”
Read more: Forever Canadian
May 20: Finance Minister Nate Horner and Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones resign from the UCP cabinet.
Read more: The Case for Sticking Around
Thursday, May 21:The UCP government announces it will hold a fall referendum asking whether Albertans want the province to remain in Canada or to hold a referendum on separating from Canada. A vote in favour of separation would allow the government to start a process that would end in a binding referendum at a later date.
May 21:Premier Danielle Smith announces a cabinet shakeup that includes appointing Jason Nixon as President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, Adriana LaGrange as Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, and R.J. Sigurdson as Minister of Affordability and Utilities.
Read more: The Minister Who Quit
Friday, May 22:At a press conference premier Danielle Smith says she will campaign for the pro-Canada side of the referendum vote in October, but that she will “accept the result of the vote.”
Read more: Should Alberta Separate?
The Week in Alberta is updated weekdays by 4:30pm MT.
