Tyler Shandro being sworn in as Alberta's New Minister of Labour & Immigration. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

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Shandro removed as Alberta’s Health Minister, now Labour & Immigration Minister

Sep 21, 2021 | 4:16 PM

Premier Jason Kenney has announced a significant cabinet swap.

At a ceremony in Edmonton Tuesday afternoon, Jason Copping was sworn in as the province’s new Minister of Health.

That means that Tyler Shandro, who has been the health minister since 2019, will no longer serve in the role. Instead, he will take over Copping’s now-former position as the Minister of Labour and Immigration.

Shandro spent much of his two years as Health Minister in a long-standing labour negotiation with healthcare professionals.

After learning that Shandro would no longer be in that position, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) Vice President Susan Slade said, “good riddance.”

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“Tyler Shandro set fire to Alberta’s health care system and hung Albertans out to dry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s past time for him to suffer some consequences for his actions.”

Meanwhile, officials with Friends of Medicare say they are concerned about the timing of this announcement on the part of Premier Kenney.

“This is a political decision that we hope will not distract from the urgent, multiple health care crises this province is facing,” says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, in a press release Tuesday. “We need to see concerted and decisive action from all of our leadership if we are going to get through this fourth wave with our health care system in tact.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

More details to come.