Early political involvement Shandro was a long time volunteer with the
Progressive Conservative (PC) Association of Alberta. Following the party's defeat in the
2015 Alberta general election, Shandro ran unsuccessfully for party president against Katherine O'Neill. Shandro served on the committee which set out the terms forming the UCP following the 2017 merger of the PCs and Wildrose Party.
Minister of Health (2019–2021) On April 30, 2019, Shandro was appointed as the minister of health. Shandro announced in 2021 that $400 million in operational funding would be invested towards the new version of the Affordability Supportive Living Initiative. Shandro estimated that 3,800 would be replacement beds and 2,200 would be new beds. As Minister of Health, Shandro oversaw massive health-care worker layoffs. He has repeatedly denied that there have had been layoffs, but at least 11,000
Alberta Health Services (AHS) workers in laundry, nutrition and food services, lab services, and other support positions have had their jobs cut or privatized since 2020.
Vital Partners controversy On March 19, 2020, concerns were raised on social media that there was a potential conflict of interest on the part of Shandro, who has shares in Vital Partners, along with his wife's sister, and his wife, Andrea Shandro. In response to complaints sent to the ethics commissioner's office about Shandro's alleged conflict of interest, the ethics commissioner,
Marguerite Trussler, wrote in a March 20, 2020, letter that, since Shandro was not the director of Shandro Holdings, the company that owns Vital Partners, and since his shares in that company are in a blind trust, he has done "all that is required to be in compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act". After news of this controversy broke, the Shandro family were subjected to multiple personal attacks through social media.
Confrontation controversies On March 22, Shandro and his wife went to the residence of their neighbour Dr. Mukarram Zaidi. Zaidi, who had previously served on the constituency association of MLA
Mike Ellis alongside Shandro, Shandro allegedly requested that Zaidi remove the post, which he did. Though Zaidi forgave Shandro, Shandro stated that he regretted his actions, though added that he had merely "responded passionately" in an attempt to stand up for his wife. Following the incident, Opposition MLAs called on Premier Kenney to fire Shandro. In his March 27 statement he said he regretted his actions, as they were a distraction from the
COVID-19 pandemic. Shandro was supported by Premier Kenney, who said that Shandro's behaviour was understandable given that the minister felt his family was under attack. By the end of March, there was considerable media coverage of Shandro's response to these concerns including articles in the
Medicine Hat News, the
Edmonton Journal, A CBC article described how Vital Partners could potentially profit from changes to provincial physician reimbursement that led to physicians having to fire staff and shutter practices. The media coverage of the confrontation resulted in the political opposition and citizens calling for Shandro's resignation. In a July 2020 survey of Alberta doctors, 98% of respondents said that they had lost confidence in Shandro.
AMA agreement Bill 21 gave Shandro the right to unilaterally end the long-standing master agreement with the
Alberta Medical Association (AMA). He terminated the agreement on March 30 and introduced a new fee structure which Shandro stressed would provide $5.4 billion in annual funding among other supports. On April 9, the AMA filed a lawsuit against the province, citing the termination of the agreement as well as the "government's conduct during negotiations". On March 30, 2021, Alberta doctors voted 53 percent to turn down a negotiated offer to settle their long standing dispute with the government.
End of tenure On September 21, 2021, Premier Jason Kenney shuffled him out of the cabinet position as health minister. NDP leader
Rachel Notley stated that the news of his departure was "welcome" however "Alberta is facing a crisis in our hospitals but the UCP can't see beyond the chaotic spectacle of their own infighting."
Minister of Labour and Immigration (2021–2022) On September 21, 2021, Shandro was appointed as the Minister of Labour and Immigration, swapping roles with
Jason Copping, who took over the health portfolio.
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta (2022–2023) Shandro took over the role of Minister of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta on February 25, 2022, swapping portfolios with
Kaycee Madu, who was demoted after a probe found he attempted to interfere with the administration of justice. As Justice Minister, Shandro has been critical of the federal Liberal government plan to ban handguns and further restrict semi-automatic rifles. He sponsored the Alberta Firearms Act which is said to counter what the Alberta government sees as federal overreach. The Alberta Firearms Act received royal assent on March 28, 2023. "We disagree with the confiscation program, so we don't think that there should be anyone involved in being engaged as a seizure agent for the confiscation program," Shandro stated. Much of the act expands the responsibilities and powers given to the provincial Chief Firearms Officer, as well as regulation powers that the government can use in orders in-council concerning future "firearms matters". On April 5 of the same year, the act was referenced in a news release from Shandro's Justice Ministry as legislation (along with the Municipal Governments Firearms Amendments Act) that the province may use to regulate the federal
firearms buy-back program. Specifically, this usage of the act is claimed to give to the Alberta government the final word before municipal and / or police services enter into funding agreements or accept funding from the federal government to take part in the federal program. Shandro
lost his seat in the
2023 Alberta general election to
Diana Batten from the NDP. == Law Society of Alberta Proceedings ==