The Stelmach administration is creating confusion and uncertainty by sending mixed messages on the state of nursing in the public health care system.

According to the Stelmach administration’s own reports, Alberta has a shortage of 1,500 nurses. But new job vacancies are not being posted on the Alberta Health Services website, and AHS CEO Dr. Stephen Duckett has stated that he must personally sign off on most new hires – a daunting task, considering the size of the public health care workforce.

While the Ministry of Health and Wellness turns away nurses – including internationally trained nurses and recent nursing graduates from Alberta colleges and universities – the Ministry of Employment and Immigration has budgeted $45 million this year for health care recruitment.

The question is: Why spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on recruiting drives if you’re not going to hire anyone?

Dr. David Swann is worried that the Stelmach administration’s inconsistent treatment of nurses will drive valuable professionals to other provinces, just as the cuts of the 90s did.

“Manitoba is actively recruiting Alberta nurses,” Swann says. “Their ads make reference to Alberta’s hiring freeze and offer our nurses very attractive hiring bonuses, including relocation allowances.”

“At a time when we should be trying to squeeze as much value as possible from every taxpayer dollar, the Premier and his team show us more evidence of their mismanagement every day,” he says.