The Alberta NDP is calling for Municipal Affairs Minister and Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard to step down following a report that she travelled to Hawaii sometime in December. The CBC says multiple sources have confirmed Allard went out of the country on a family vacation, although the dates of travel aren’t specified.
NDP Municipal Affairs Critic Joe Ceci notes that Albertans have been told by both provincial and federal governments to avoid non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also points out her departure came during the roll out of the vaccine in Alberta.
“Serious mistakes have been made with our only long-term weapon against the COVID-19 virus and it turns out the minister responsible for the rollout of the program was vacationing in Hawaii. She vacationed while Albertans have been sitting in their homes through the holidays, following strict public health orders and separated from family and friends while waiting on the vaccine.”
According to the CBC, Allard’s press secretary has only said the minister is home in Grande Prairie. Ceci criticizes her decision to travel and argues she should resign, as did Ontario’s Minister of Finance Rod Phillips, who resigned from cabinet after it was revealed he vacationed in the Caribbean.
“This goes beyond just a member of the Government Caucus or a member of the Government Cabinet — Minister Allard is in charge of emergency management. She has made an unforgivable error and must resign her position immediately.”
The NDP is also calling for the United Conservative Party to acknowledge whether any of its cabinet ministers and MLAs have left the country since early December. A CTV article reports MLA for Lesser Slave Lake Pat Rehn took a trip to Mexico over the holidays.
MyGrandePrairieNow.com has reached out to Allard for comment.