This photo was shared widely on social media last week, originally posted by the account @TheBreadownAB

By Chris Brown

TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY

Kenney apologizes for controversial Sky Palace dinner

Jun 7, 2021 | 1:55 PM

Alberta’s premier is apologizing for an outside dinner at the infamously-known “Sky Palace”, where public health measures were not consistently followed.

Kenney says the government has to set a higher example in issuing an apology during a news conference on Monday.

“I want sincerely to apologize to my colleagues and to Albertans for letting you down, for not being more careful to scrupulously follow every aspect of the public health guidelines that we expect of everyone.”

Photos of the premier and several high profile cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Finance Minister Travis Toews, was shared on social media last week creating the controversy.

Kenney says the working dinner was held outside last Tuesday, the first day of Stage 1 of the province’s “Open for Summer” plan. Kenney felt it would be prudent to hold the meeting outdoors on a deck and he says steps were taken to keep chairs more than two metres apart.

Kenney says since the photo went public, they have since measured the distance between the chairs and determined two of the six guests were fewer than two metres apart.

“It’s clear that at some points in that evening we were not all distanced from one another by two metres and I truly regret that, I take full responsibility for this. I invited my colleagues there. I was of the clear view that we were compliant with the ‘Open for Summer’ rules, but it is clear that some of were not distanced the whole night.”

Last week, Kenney insisted the rules were followed during the dinner in response to questioning by Opposition MLA’s during question period Thursday.

At that time, Kenney had stated every reasonable effort to be physically distanced had been made.