Friends of Medicare wants superboard's deficit investigated

When is the last time a government ministry racked up a 1.4 billion dollar deficit? This smells bad. It is convenient that the deficit appears just when the government wants to start hacking away at public health once again. Albertans should ask what sort of bad management would result in such a huge deficit under the watch of the new minister and superboard?

By Trish Audette, edmontonjournal.com January 16, 2009

EDMONTON — The Friends of Medicare is calling on Alberta's auditor general to find out how the province's health super board racked up a deficit of more than $1 billion.
Earlier this week, the board's chairman, Ken Hughes, said the deficit — as high as $1.3-billion — is the result of growing labour and technology costs, and the province's growing and aging population.
The province has long known the new board would bleed red ink after replacing the former nine regional boards and getting rid of top health officials.
"A budget deficit of this magnitude is entirely unacceptable," said David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "It speaks to poor management and planning.
"We fear the minister and the superboard are steering us in a direction where we pay more, a lot more, and end up with less."
The organization used a PricewaterhouseCoopers review to peg the board's deficit closer to $1.4-billion or as high as $1.7-billion.
taudette@thejournal.canwest.com
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