Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, MB – Internal emails obtained by the Manitoba NDP reveal the Pallister Government continues to fail in its COVID 19 vaccine rollout response.

The emails between senior Government leaders show that 558 healthcare workers with vaccine appointments scheduled for the first day of Brandon Keystone site were sent the wrong address for their appointment. This is the second time the company the Pallister Government contracted to perform this service has provided incorrect information to Manitobans booked to receive vaccines.

“The Pallister Government’s vaccine response has so far been a failure. They wasted precious doses, made thousands of front line health care workers wait hours on the phone, and are last in the country in getting vaccines into Manitobans arms - now they can’t even get the address to the Keystone centre correct” said Wab Kinew, leader of the Manitoba NDP. “The emails show the leader of this failed vaccine rollout is Paul Beauregard - but the emails also show there will be no consequences to the private company that continues to fail to perform in the most basic of tasks”.

In response to learning the company misinformed hundreds of Manitobans about the location of their vaccine appointment, the Pallister Government’s communications director Blake Robert asked:

            “What, if any, are the consequences for this repeat error? Some kind of contractual penalty? Credit applied to whatever government is paying for the service? Reassignment of the person responsible for the error?

            Or are we just shrugging our shoulders and using the Britney Spears response of “Oops! I did it again.”

Head of Treasury Board Paul Beauregard’s response was to say they are putting the company on “training wheels”.

“When it comes to the vaccine rollout we don’t need training wheels - we need to be as fast, safe and effective as possible. But once again the Pallister government has offered a $436,000 contract to a private company in a backroom deal,” said Kinew. “This private company is responsible for part of the most important public health operation in our province’s history and they need to be accountable to Manitobans.”

You can read email thread HERE