FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2025
Statement from Matt MacFarlane: Former Health PEI executive suing Health PEI over wrongful treatment and defamation
Charlottetown, PE – On November 26th, the former Chief Human Resource Officer for Health PEI, Tracy Wolbaum, filed a lawsuit against Health PEI. Like every other executive who had worked under the previous Health PEI CEO Dr. Michael Gardam, Wolbaum was removed from her position after Dr. Gardam left. Wolbaum is claiming wrongful treatment and even defamation by Health PEI. The lawsuit is yet another alarming example of how government treats those working in our healthcare system.
What’s becoming increasingly clear is that after Dr. Gardam left, anyone within Health PEI who was willing to speak honestly about the state of our healthcare system suddenly became a problem and a target for this government. The current CEO not only pushed out Wolbaum, but systematically fired or forced out every other executive leader. In the process, Health PEI has lost decades of institutional knowledge, the very expertise needed to navigate a healthcare system in crisis, replacing it with expensive hires from off-Island.
I’m starting to see why our patient registry remains stubbornly high. This government is more focused on punishing anyone who dares to disagree with them than getting Islanders a family doctor.
Health PEI is now being taken to court because of its inappropriate treatment of staff who refused to play along with political projects that had nothing to do with improving healthcare. Dr. Gardam dared to push back when political decisions threatened patient access. Instead of valuing that honesty, the Premier and his Ministers shut it down and attacked at every opportunity. Now Health PEI’s leadership has been reshaped to ensure that no one else dares to do the same.
This is not leadership, it is a warning sign. A government that silences experts and drives out experienced leaders is a government that puts itself first and Islanders last.
The Premier owes Islanders a full and transparent explanation. Health PEI must be allowed to operate free from political interference. And the people who keep our system running – the staff, the clinicians, the leaders – deserve respect, not retaliation for doing the right thing.
Islanders deserve real healthcare leadership. Islanders deserve a change for good.
Matt MacFarlane
Leader of the Green Party of PEI
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca