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Sheila Weatherill resigns amid expense account controversy

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EDMONTON

Alberta's health-care system is dealing with more scandals than an episode of General Hospital -- and Alison Redford's government is to blame.

That's according to Alberta's opposition parties after former Capital Health CEO Sheila Weatherill resigned from the Alberta Health Services (AHS) board, Health Minister Fred Horne announced Thursday.

"I am concerned there will be ongoing questions about my continuing service as a board member of the Alberta Health Services," wrote Weatherill in a resignation letter to Horne, who made the letter public.

"Therefore, I am putting the interests of the health system ahead of my own, and I have resigned from the board of Alberta Health Services."

Weatherill's resignation comes after she approved lavish expense claims made by Capital Health's former chief financial officer Allaudin Merali.

Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman said the latest scandal that has rocked the health-care system calls for a complete forensic audit of AHS finances.

Since the Tory government record is full of financial mismanagement for the last 41 years, it's created "an air of aristocracy" within AHS.

"These people feel protected by the big umbrella," Sherman said. "Nobody is going to rain on their parade of entitlements while the PCs are covering for them."

The latest scandal is also a swipe to "front-line health workers who are scrambling every day to hold the health-care system together," Wildrose health critic Heather Forsyth said.

"Albertans should be outraged any time this government tries to claim budget constraints in the health-care system."

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