Alberta cabinet minister under conduct review by Law Society
Posted Feb 18, 2022 6:24 pm.
Last Updated Feb 18, 2022 8:22 pm.
A complaint made to the Law Society of Alberta alleges Tyler Shandro’s conduct while he was minister of health, including an incident where he showed up at a doctor’s home and berated him and his family, has breached the professional code of conduct.
Shandro, currently the Minister of Labour and Immigration, was health minister from 2019 to 2021.
In March of 2020, Dr. Mukarram Zaidi posted a meme online, criticizing Shandro and his efforts to decrease funding for public health. He also suggested Shandro would benefit from supporting privatization of health care because of his family’s business interests.
“So, he’s instrumental in decreasing funding for public health care and advising patients to go and seek private brokerage for private healthcare — and his family business does it,” he said.
Shandro, who was health minister at the time, admitted he went to Zaidi’s house to confront him.
“It was absolutely disgusting and insulting to be called like that on your own driveway in broad daylight and somebody yelling at you,” Zaidi said.
A notice on the Law Society’s website says three complaints are being reviewed, including one where Shandro “attended the private residence of a member of the public, behaved inappropriately by engaging in conduct that brings the reputation of the profession into disrepute.”
Two other incident are also under review. One where Shandro is alleged to have “used his position as Minister of Health to obtain personal cell phone numbers, [and] contacted one or more members of the public outside of regular working hours using that information. The second alleges he “responded to an email from a member of the public addressed to his wife by threatening to refer that individual to the authorities if they did not address future correspondence to his office as Minister of Health,”
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The minister’s spokesperson, Joseph Dow, said they look forward to resolving the issue through the proper channels, noting complaints like this can be made against any lawyer.
The Law Society of Alberta says Shandro could be subject to reprimand, suspension or disbarment. He could also face fines.
No date has been set for a hearing.
A hearing will be scheduled for Tyler Shandro to determine if he breached the code of conduct, but no date has been set.
Zaidi took down the original post about Shandro, and said he forgives for what he did. At the time, Premier Jason Kenney defended Shandro, which Zaide said led to his family being threatened. threats towards the doctor and his family. Zaidi says neither Shandro nor Kenney have reached out to him. with him or given an apology.
“I would like the premier to apologize for him villainizing me and putting me and my family in danger. My family has done nothing wrong and to put them in danger, villainizing me is absolutely inappropriate,” Zaidi said. said.
