REGINA - In light of the announcement of Scott Livingstone’s departure from his role as CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, many questions still remain unanswered regarding the reasons behind the sudden resignation and why the news was not shared with the public for well over a week.
“The circumstances around this departure are highly unusual and the people of this province deserve answers from this Sask. Party government,” said Ryan Meili, Leader of the Official Opposition. “This isn’t a simple staffing matter, as the Premier has characterized it. This is the sudden loss of the Chief Executive Officer of our health authority, while we’re still in the throes of a pandemic, with no succession plan or warning. It raises some very serious questions around this government’s role in that departure.”
The news follows the further loss of Suann Laurent, the Chief Operating Officer of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), a position that Scott Livingstone also held in an acting role since her departure. The SHA’s Executive Leadership Team reports to the COO. The loss of two of the most senior members of the SHA within weeks of each other raises serious questions and concerns about what pressure these SHA executive members were under.
“The Premier himself admitted he’d known about Mr. Livingstone’s departure from the role for over a week. So why was the news released more than a week after the Premier had found out, on a Thursday morning during Question Period? It reeks of political interference,” said Meili. “If Mr. Livingstone tenured his resignation effective immediately, why was the public not informed? The Premier owes the public an explanation for this sudden change with potential major impacts on a healthcare system already struggling to provide timely access to care.”
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