But the confusion over the CEO's appointment isn't the only challenge facing Minister Chebat. The pandemic wedding for the Narwani family that took place yesterday at the Biltmore received approval from the ministry, he says as a way to incentivize vaccinations.
However, many felt that it was a matter of wealthy and well-connected people being allowed to flout the law while regular folk and businesses are arrested and charged for parties.
And to add insult to injury, the minister of health, Michel Chebat, said that he doesn't even know if it was gazetted which is required under the SI. He also added that anyone can ask for this permission, and based on the number of guests vaccinated, it may be granted:
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"I don't know why it's controversial, if you all reviewed the SI that just came out, you will see the SI for the first time we are giving benefits to those people who are vaccinated to be able to access the casinos. As you all know, there has been a lot of request across the country for people who are vaccinated to have benefits and so this wedding was one of those instances where after we were given the list of invitees and the vaccination cards of everyone, we felt it was safe to go ahead and grant that permission. Let me tell you, this is not the first permission we have given, back in July we gave one to the book launching of Dr. Esquivel and so this is the ministry's way of trying reach out and experimenting to see how people react to these events. We can't keep the country locked down, if we're saying to our people get out and get vaccinated, across the world you see that people with vaccination have benefits and so this is a part of that."
Reporter
"Is the ministry selective or is it any grouping who wants to have a gathering or a funeral... This is a wealthy group so people are saying you all are giving preferential treatment."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"This is not so, we have given several permissions across the month and this the one that somebody leaked out and I would say with dubious intentions but this is not the first one and I am not going around saying I'll give you, the basis of the permission is based on vaccination, that's the basis of it, you have some immunity."
Reporter
"This was an indoor wedding, air condition."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"We gave the permission and I've explained to you the basis upon which we gave it. I can't tell you anything else about that."
Reporter
"We're seeing aboard that even at open air events, vaccinated people are having breakthrough infections with the delta variant, so how do we consider that it's okay to do this? Now you will have many more request, will those be approved?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"It's a discretion that we have to exercise based on the documents and evidence presented to us. We're hoping to exercise that discretion in the best possible way in the interest of everyone."
But is it a breach of the law by not gazetting it before the event? The lawyer minister said, it isn't:
Reporter
"Was the permission gazetted?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"I don't know that it was, I cannot say."
Reporter
"It is required in the SI that permission being gazetted."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"It is required absolutely."
Reporter
"If you're not aware if the permission was gazetted, wouldn't that somewhat against the SI."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"It is not a breach, the gazette are published every Friday folks, this permission was just given yesterday, so it wouldn't have come out in the gazette."
Reporter
"It should be that it's published before, so it make that be known."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"I don't know that people having an issue with it. There is a discretion given to the minister of health to allow crowds beyond the 10 or the 25 depending what it is and based on the fact that these people produced their vaccination card, we felt it was in our discretion to grant the permission."
Reporter
"Was the event with Mr. Esquivel gazetted?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"I don't believe it was."
