That's the way the cookie crumbles

Stephen Duckett's decision to eat a cookie instead of answering questions about problems plaguing the province's health system has cost him his job as head of Alberta Health Services, the largest medical organization in Canada.
His departure, however, has fractured the superboard and has political observers saying it signals growing chaos in provincial health care.
Internet video of Friday's cookie controversy has been watched, and mocked, tens of thousands of times.
Premier Ed Stelmach characterized acterized Duckett's comments as "offensive," while Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky admonished him immediately upon hearing audio of the bizarre two-minute exchange with reporters, which occurred after a daylong brainstorming session on Alberta's emergency care crisis.
Duckett's apology Saturday failed to quell the backlash.
After a hastily called meeting ing to discuss his future, the 14-member board decided Wednesday to dismiss its chief executive.

Duckett had a pomposity and unwillingness to be questioned or challenged that made him a poor choice to head a public health service and had managed to alienate a large percentage of frontline health workers.  The aura of entitled arrogance to his "Can't you see I'm eating my cookie?" response to the media was just the icing on the cake.

But ultimately he was working with the budget, and enforcing the policies provided by the Progressive Conservative government of Alberta.  And now he's providing that same government with a convenient scapegoat.  Nothing changes with his removal, and Albertans have put up with worse from his bosses without 'firing'  them in a provincial election.

This is theater.  The same people are mismanaging and undermining Alberta's health system who were mismanaging and undermining it yesterday and as long as they're still in charge nothing will change.