Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s Controversial Choice for Pandemic Data Review
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has raised eyebrows by appointing Dr. Gary Davidson, a physician who has previously accused the province of exaggerating the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals, to lead a review of pandemic-era health data.
Dr. Davidson, the former chief of emergency medicine at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, made headlines in 2021 when he claimed that hospital admission numbers were being inflated to justify public health restrictions. The provincial health authority, Alberta Health Services, rejected those accusations as false.
Premier Smith defended her decision, stating that she wants to hear a range of viewpoints, including from those who have been silenced in the public sphere.
“I needed somebody who was going to look at everything that happened with some fresh eyes and maybe with a little bit of a contrarian perspective because we’ve only ever been given one perspective,” Smith told reporters on Tuesday.
The work of the task force is nearing completion, but few details have been made public since it was struck in 2022. Smith said Tuesday that she expects the final report to be submitted to the government next month and that the findings will be made public.
Opposition New Democrat Leader Rachel Notley lambasted the panel and Smith, calling it a waste of public money to launch a secret consultation led by someone with “fringe views.”
“I believe the Earth is round, and I don’t think that the people of Alberta should be paying for people who believe it’s flat to be engaging in the conversation,” Notley said.
Smith’s decision has drawn criticism from some, who argue that it legitimizes fringe views and undermines public trust in science. However, Smith maintains that she is committed to hearing from a range of perspectives and that the findings of the task force will be made public.
