By now, Alberta Health Service’s decision to remove several lab services from Westlock and outsource them to a private company is old news.
We first wrote about it on May 6, and since then there has been much discussion about what it will mean for the community. At the town council level, mayor Bruce Lennon could accurately be described as mildly apoplectic at the move.
“We don’t feel that’s the direction we should be going. We’re going to try to raise some hell and hope someone is going to react at some point because it’s unacceptable,” he is quoted as saying.
He is requesting the move be put on hold for at least six months, so there is time to properly evaluate what the change will mean and whether it can be stopped. Meanwhile, AHS and the province continue to claim the move has been made in order to save money.
And while saving money and finding efficiencies in government is certainly a noble goal, those savings need to be properly quantified in order to be considered valid.
So far, however, we have not been made aware just how much this move is expected to save.
And that’s a problem.
The financial impact of any government cuts should be one of the first pieces of information presented when those cuts are announced.
Also at issue is why the province is making this move with little to no consultation.
When jobs are being lost in this manner, especially in a small town like Westlock, it is imperative the affected community is informed of what is happening before it happens.
This isn’t a large city where five high-paying jobs can be eliminated and virtually nobody bats an eye. This is a small community where everyone knows everyone and a job cut of this magnitude affects more than just the employees and their families.
Thankfully, MLA Maureen Kubinec shares the community’s feelings about what has happened.
And she was fortunate enough to have the chance to directly question health minister Fred Horne about the cuts during question period last week.
While Horne was unable to give a satisfactory response, at least now Westlock’s indignation is on the legislative record.
