By
September 21, 2021
-Western Standard
Beleaguered Health Minister Tyler Shandro is taking the fall for the COVID-19 crisis Alberta finds itself in, the Western Standard has learned.
Two sources tell the Western Standard Shandro will be replaced as health minister by Jason Copping, UCP MLA for Calgary-Varsity.
Premier Jason Kenney will announce the shuffle at 3:30 p.m. and will follow with a press conference with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw to update the COVID-19 situation in the province.
One UCP MLA that spoke to the Western Standard on the condition of anonymity said: “This is a desperate bid by Kenney to save his leadership.
“Most of us agree Shandro is incompetent and must go, but he was acting under orders directly from Kenney,” the MLA said.
“It looks pathetic and is only designed to stave off a vote of no-confidence from the caucus tomorrow.
“Rather than go gracefully, he [Kenney] would rather blow the whole thing up than step down gracefully.”
The Kenney government has been under withering attack for its handling of the pandemic, with hospital ICUs close to overflowing and the province reporting huge numbers of new daily cases.
Kenney also brought in a vaccine passport, something he swore he would never do.
There has been open revolt among some UCP ridings with many of the constituency associations calling for a leadership review.
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