Shandro hearings revisit controversial tenure as health minister
Alberta justice minister Tyler Shandro will continue to face questions in front of a panel of lawyers on Thursday as a hearing into his conduct while he was the minister of health continues into day three.
Shandro is at the centre of a Law Society of Alberta hearing for a trio of allegations dating back to early 2020.
The former health minister testified that the response from the public to a provincial decision to end its master agreement with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) in February of 2020 was "extreme."
"Both publicly and behind the scenes, both in traditional and social media — phone calls to our office, phone calls to the constituency office. We were bombarded by robust advocacy from the AMA," Shandro said Tuesday under questioning from his own lawyer.
Shandro also said there were "hundreds" of threats directed at himself and to his family, including one incident in which a person showed up to the workplace of his wife and threatened her.
Days after the AMA decision, Shandro took part in a provincial funding announcement in Red Deer. The then-health minister sent text messages to the Vice President of Communications for Alberta Health Services (AHS) to request help in identifying two doctors who had confronted Shandro in the hospital.
He testified that the doctors were "yelling" and reading off a prepared statement as Shandro was being shuffled out of the hospital. Shandro said he still wanted to talk to the physicians and that's why he wanted to identify them. He called them the following day.
The doctors he had phoned testified earlier this week that they were surprised by the minster's calls and felt intimidated by Shandro.
An AHS report concluded that the doctors' privacy had been breached when their phone numbers were shared with Shandro without their consent.
VITAL PARTNERS INC.
Part of Shandro's testimony surrounded questions about Vital Partners Inc., a company his wife is a part owner of that provides services including private health insurance.
A Calgary doctor testified on Tuesday that he had posted a meme about Tyler Shandro on social media to call into question a potential conflict of interest with the then-health minister and his connections to Vital Partners.
Shandro testified that his wife Andrea worked with her sister to launch the company sometime in 2014 and 50 per cent of the shares belong to Andrea through a corporation Tyler had set up years prior.
Shandro said his shares are held in trust by his wife and was cleared with the province's ethics commissioner.
"I've never been an owner or director of Vital Partners," Tyler Shandro testified.
Shandro's testimony will continue on Thursday. His wife, Andrea Shandro, is also expected to be called as a witness.
The LSA panel will decide whether the minister's actions nearly three years ago go against the Society's code of conduct.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.