Cabinet, Not Bureaucrats, Should Have Final Say in Future Pandemics: Manning-Led Panel Report

The report, which studied Alberta’s response to COVID-19, recommends all decisions be made by cabinet instead of bureaucrats in future pandemics.

Preston Manning, founder of the Manning Centre, listens during the Manning Networking Conference in Ottawa on March 22, 2019. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

A panel studying Alberta’s response to COVID-19 is calling for an overhaul in how the province reacts to future pandemics to ensure the premier and cabinet have the “ultimate authority” in responding to health emergencies.

The province has yet to decide if it will act on any of the more than 90 recommendations from the panel, which was led by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning.