Candidates running in the Edmonton-Whitemud byelection had their first and only chance on Wednesday to direct their attacks about the health care system at the current minister, Stephen Mandel.
The former Edmonton mayor was appointed minister of health last month by Alberta Premier Jim Prentice.
The event at the Riverbend United Church on Wednesday was the only forum he agreed to attend, so candidates for the other parties focused on his inexperience managing the health care system.
“He obviously is still learning and we’re paying him a lot of money for his training course,” said Bob Turner, the Edmonton oncologist running for the NDP.
“It’s time he took the training wheels off. He actually has to have some opinions. He didn’t answer a single question tonight.”
This man said that he was advocating for his mother and other seniors who were being treated like “shit” by the Alberta long-term system. (CBC )
Nearly all the questions and complaints were aimed at Mandel, who remarked that he was being picked on, but that it was “ok.”
Liberal candidate Donna Wilson, a nursing professor at the University of Alberta, said she had no sympathy for her Progressive Conservative rival.
“Mr. Mandel, I do not feel sorry for you at all,” she said. “You have chosen to join that club, and it is a club that has made our healthcare system cost a great deal more than it ever did.”
Frustrations over the state of long-term care for seniors boiled over when one man stood up and said that he was at the forum to advocate for his mother and others in long-term care.
“And they’re being treated like shit. I don’t care what Mandel says. You shouldn’t be running. You have no experience,” he said. “And the question is, when is your government going to look after our seniors who built this province?”
Afterwards, Mandel said he has heard similar issues from people while he has been doorknocking during the campaign.
“There’s many frustrations of us not responding in an effective way in dealing with family members,” he said.
“It’s something that we take very seriously and we’re going to have to do a better job at measuring and putting in controls and evaluations. That will take a bit of time to do but we’ll end up doing it.”
There are six candidates running in Edmonton-Whitemud. In addition to Turner and Wilson, Tim Grover is representing the Wildrose, William Munsey is running for the Alberta Party and Rene Malenfant is the Green Party candidate.
Voters go to the polls in Edmonton-Whitemud, Calgary-Elbow, Calgary-Foothill and Calgary West on Monday, Oct. 27.
