Alberta health minister says $1,400 car ride pricey but value for money

EDMONTON, AB – Alberta’s health minister says he appreciates that a $1,400 round-trip car service trip by his top administrator looks pricey, but it’s actually value for money.

Jason Copping says the private car and driver allowed John Cowell to take calls and handle sensitive documents while going from Calgary to Edmonton and back in November in order to take in the throne speech at the legislature.

Copping says Cowell, who is the official administrator for Alberta Health Services, has been given a mammoth task to steer a new direction for the $16-billion health system and Copping wants him focused on that.

Cowell was appointed to job in November 2022 after Premier Danielle Smith fired the entire governing board of Alberta Health Services, citing the board’s failure to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.