Documents suggest zero emails between Kenney and Hinshaw during his holiday: Official Opposition

EDMONTON -

New documents the Official Opposition in Alberta gained by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIP) request show the premier did not exchange emails with the province's top doctor while he was on holiday in August — right as COVID-19 cases began to spike.

Premier Jason Kenney has previously said in the legislature and at media availabilities that while he was away on vacation for 19 days in August, from Aug. 12 to Aug. 30., he was in "daily" or "constant" contact with staff and officials.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) specifically requested copies of all emails between the Office of the Premier and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding hospital and ICU capacity from Aug. 13 to Aug. 30.

In response to their FOIP request, the Opposition received a letter from the director of FOIP services saying there were no records located that matched the criteria.

"A thorough search conducted by Office of the Premier staff did not yield any records responsive to your request," the letter read.

"Albertans are waiting for someone, really anyone, in the UCP caucus to rise to admit that they were in charge and to take responsibility for running the government," said Sarah Hoffman, opposition deputy leader.

When asked for comment by CTV News, the premier's office said since the Chief Medical Officer of Health is under the Health Ministry, "communication would typically go through Health - not direct from CMOH to PO (premier's office)."

CTV News is awaiting further comment from the minister of health.

"There was no email correspondence between the premier's office and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health," Hoffman said. "I can't imagine who was briefing him if it wasn't her (Dr. Deena Hinshaw)."

Documents previously obtained by CTV News through FOIP, suggest the premier only had two COVID-19 briefings, on Aug. 18 and Aug. 25, during the entire time he was on vacation.

During the legislature's special debate on COVID-19 on Monday, Kenney said he was in "daily touch" with officials. He added that in mid-August, Dr. Hinshaw reached out through the Minister of Health to indicate "concern" about suspending contact tracing, isolation requirements, and testing. 

"I chaired an Emergency Management Cabinet Committee meeting in mid-August to accept her recommendations to pause those measures that had been announced in late July," Kenney said. "I continued to be in daily contact with my staff and senior officials during the two weeks that I took personal time, the first two weeks I've taken that much time in over three years.

"I continued to be in daily touch," he added.

'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'

While Kenney was on "personal" time in August, COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases began to spike.

In the time he was away, the province tallied almost 14,000 new infections as the number of Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 went from 156 on Aug. 12 to 422 on Aug. 30.

"Enough is enough, Albertans deserve the truth," Hoffman said, as she reiterated the NDP's push to have a non-partisan review of the province's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They could possibly have been communicating through non-traditional methods," Hoffman added. "Traditionally, emails are pretty standard when you talk about these types of major decisions, in my experience in the public service."

On Wednesday, NDP health critic David Shepherd sent a letter to the province's auditor general requesting a performance review of the premier's office's protocols to delegate executive authority to an acting minister during the premier's vacation in August.

"Our caucus has tried repeatedly to get straight answers on who was in charge in August when the premier was on vacation," Shepherd said on Wednesday.

"Now everyone has the right to vacation, to rest and recharge," he added. "But, anyone who is in a position of responsibility must make sure to leave someone in charge during their absence."

In Shepherd's view, Albertans deserve to know who was in charge of their province.

"While we don't know who was in charge while the premier was having his best summer ever, we do know that COVID cases rose quickly, putting intense pressure on our hospitals."

With files from CTV News Calgary's Timm Bruch