Australian economist appointed to lead Alberta Health Services
EDMONTON – The government of Alberta announced this morning the appointment of Dr. Stephen Duckett, an Australian PhD economist, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Health Services.
There are indications that Dr. Duckett is not a hard-line supporter of private-sector health care, which from the perspective of a public sector union must be viewed as a positive development.
For example, in a paper published in 2005, he wrote: “The Australian experience suggests that Canadians should be wary about allowing a significant private sector to develop in Canada, particularly if it seeks the level of subsidy that the Australian private sector has been able to garner.”
However, the Edmonton Journal on-line reported today that he might “look at expanding private delivery of publicly funded services to bring wait times down, as he did in Queensland. … He also changed the funding system to reward hospitals that met certain targets, rather than funding hospitals in a way that rewarded long waiting lists.”
Dr. Duckett’s appointment takes effect on March 23.
AUPE represents more than 34,000 front-line health sector workers, the majority employed by Alberta Health Services.
Follow the links below for more information about Dr. Duckett: