Alberta Premier Defends Appointing COVID-19 Skeptic to Lead Pandemic Response Review

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is standing by her decision to appoint Dr. Gary Davidson, a physician who has expressed skepticism about COVID-19 measures, to lead a task force reviewing the province's pandemic response. Smith says she wants to hear a range of viewpoints, including from those who have been "shouted down in the public sphere."

Dr. Davidson, the former chief of emergency medicine at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, had previously claimed that hospital admission numbers were exaggerated and manipulated to justify public health restrictions, which the provincial health authority rejected as false. Despite this, Smith gave the task force a broad mandate to assess data used to inform pandemic decision-making and investigate concerns about unexplained deaths and rumors of vaccine harms.

Why this matters: The appointment of a COVID-19 skeptic to lead a review of Alberta's pandemic response has raised concerns about the influence of fringe views on public health policy. The task force's findings could have implications for how the province handles future public health crises.

The task force's work is nearly complete, but few details have been publicized so far. Smith says the final report is expected next month and will be made public. However, the Health Quality Council of Alberta, the provincial agency overseeing the task force, says it has no involvement in the group's work or approach.

The opposition New Democratic Party has criticized the panel, calling it a waste of public money and accusing Smith of giving a platform to those with "fringe views.

Key Takeaways

• Alberta Premier appoints COVID-19 skeptic to lead pandemic response review
• Task force to assess data used for pandemic decisions, investigate vaccine concerns
• Appointment raises concerns about influence of fringe views on public health policy
• Opposition criticizes the panel as a waste of public money and a platform for fringe views
• Task force report expected next month, but its findings' reception remains uncertain