Sask. Party insider appointed to SHA executive raises concerns

Eyebrows are being raised around the province at a long-time Sask. Party insider who was given a job alongside top leadership of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

Raynelle Wilson, who seemingly has no prior experience in healthcare administration, was appointed to the authority’s executive leadership team into a new position: Vice-President of Enterprise Initiatives Support, according to an internal memo sent out by the SHA.

“The SHA is seconding Raynelle for six months to provide executive leadership aimed at strengthening collaboration between the SHA, Ministry of Health and other key partners in support of achieving and reporting on priority enterprise initiatives. This work will align directly with SHA core values of collaboration and accountability and strengthen our profile, reporting and sharing of success stories with key partners,” read the letter sent from interim SHA CEO Andrew Will.

Wilson has held numerous jobs within government according to her LinkedIn page, from Chief of Staff to the Minister of Crown Investments, to Chairperson of the Public Service Commission to – most recently – senior advisor to the deputy minister of health since November 2021.

Wilson also ran as a candidate for the Sask. Party in the 2007 election.

Vicki Mowat, health critic for the Sask. NDP, said it needs to be ensured that all the right processes are followed when people are hired for the top jobs in the SHA, and she said it doesn’t appear that happened in this case.

“The SHA is an apolitical organization and they should be left in charge of their own hiring practices. The Minister of Health should absolutely not be interfering to try to get his own political friend to the top of the SHA,” said Mowat.

Mowat is suspicious of the move because Wilson has been a political appointee before, the vice-president position was created for Wilson.

“What it comes down to is a government trying to ram through their political agenda, using this partisan appointment without regard for the pandemic that the rest of us are also in right now and the very real situation that they should be focusing their attention on,” said Mowat.

Mowat is particularly concerned that this appointment is an attempt to politicize the health authority.

“The SHA is an apolitical organization, it is not meant to simply be an extension of the ministry – they are meant to govern themselves, and this sets a very dangerous precedent when we have the ministry dropping in political operatives into an apolitical organization,” said Mowat.

Mowat and the NDP are calling for an investigation from the auditor into the situation. She said the auditor has the authority to create a special investigation for this and that would be the avenue to have teeth and would be independent from government.

“I think the independence of the investigation is of utmost importance when we’re talking about alleged political interference,” said Mowat.

The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour also doesn’t like this appointment, alleging the appointment was done for the purpose of expanding the privatization of healthcare services in Saskatchewan.

“Those working in executive positions should have expertise and demonstrated experience working in public health care administration. This appointment is, at best, cronyism, and at worst, proof of the Sask. Party moving forward with their plans to gut the public health system,” said federation president Lori John in a news release.

Health Minister Paul Merriman denied both that Wilson’s appointment is meant to either politicize or privatize the health authority, saying the former was an inappropriate allegation.

“This is a person that has a long history within the government and is a great, strong, capable woman that’s within our public service who’s coming over to help at a very challenging time within the SHA and appreciate any help that we can get at any level,” said Merriman.

Merriman claimed he was unaware that Wilson had run for the Sask. Party, saying in the 2007 election he knew some of the Saskatoon candidates but not really the Regina ones.

The minister said this move is similar to any of the secondments the government has made during the pandemic.

“I think the public expects us to be able to put the right people in the right positions,” said Merriman.

He also said this is no different than other appointments that have been made in the past, including Bob Pringle as children’s advocate and Ryan Meili to help with poverty reduction.

Wilson doesn’t have specific healthcare administration experience, but Merriman said the position she’s in is more about logistical and organizational skills, and that there are others there who would be able to inform her on the healthcare side of things.

“We need somebody in there to be able to help out while the SHA senior team is in a transition,” said Merriman.

The minister also denied that the appointment of Wilson had to do with Scott Livingstone’s sudden departure as SHA CEO last month.

Merriman said one has nothing to do with the other and again declined to explain exactly why Livingstone left, saying that they were Livingstone’s own reasons.