Alberta Liberal leader Raj Sherman, former Progressive Conservative Party caucus member, emergency room doctor, and STARS flight physician, believes that Alberta is ready for a change in government.
That was the main topic of conversation at the town hall meeting he hosted last Monday in Bonnyville to drum up support for the Liberal association in the Bonnyville – Cold Lake constituency. He also hoped to find a candidate to represent the Liberal party in the next provincial election, hopes which he pinned on Rob Fox, who ran against Brian Storseth for the Liberals in the last federal election.
“Many Albertans are looking for change and they're not getting answers from their current government,” Sherman said after the meeting. “I'm hoping that we will provide them with a reasonable alternative for government.”
Sherman, MLA for Edmonton – Meadowlark, served as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health and Wellness from Mar. 12 2008 – Nov. 22 2012, when he was kicked out of the PC Party. He became the leader of the Liberal Party, the official opposition, in September 2011.
He was kicked out of the PC party for criticising the party's stance on healthcare, he explained on Monday, comparing it to American-style healthcare, as well as asking for a forensic audit of the provincial deficit.
“That's when they threw me out of government,” he said, smiling. “They called me all sorts of names. I think they called me crazy. I told them I am crazy. I'm crazy for Alberta, I'm crazy for Albertans, I love this province, and damn it, I'll suffer for the people. I don't care what they say or do, but I'm going to fight for the people. That's what you deserve from your elected representatives.”
One of Sherman's priorities is healthcare. He outlined his belief that the system can be improved with adequate and funded long-term home-care for seniors, disagreeing with the current trend towards privatizing seniors' residences.
“Those who built this province should not be used to make profit,” he said.
Finding more family doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners is another priority, as well as education, and diversifying the market, so Albertan goods are sold to markets other than the US.
Another priority for his government, he said, was to put power back in Albertans' hands.
“We need to talk to you before we actually pass the law, not pass the law and then spend $100,000 –- your tax-payer dollars — to advertise it on TV and the papers to tell you why it's good for you.”
He reminded those who attended the meeting that Albertans changed their government before, 40 years ago, and Alberta “blossomed.” He believes it is time for another change.
“After 40 years, I believe, the time has come for Albertans to change their government, bring a fresh look at things, put a fresh lens on Alberta, with fresh ideas, and take Alberta in a direction they've never seen before.”
The meeting was attended by about 25 residents, a number which had Sherman optimistic afterwards.
“For a liberal meeting, this is fantastic,” he said. “We were quite enthused. Energetic audience, good questions. It was just an honour for me to be here and talk to the people of Cold Lake and Bonnyville as well.”
In the last provincial election, an attempt to get the Liberal Association up and running failed when only seven people showed interest. Given that about 25 showed up to Sherman's town hall meeting last Monday, Rob Fox is hoping for an appetite for change.
Though no date for an organizational meeting has been set yet, Fox is looking for support in getting the association going again, with plans to put his name in as a candidate to run for the Liberal Party in the Bonnyville – Cold Lake riding, a nomination he hopes to see contested.
“Ideally, we would have a contested nomination,” he explained after Sherman's town hall meeting. “People have talked to me about running but I don't want people to come into the organization and feel it's predetermined who's going to run … Hopefully we can get people back out and more and more people interested in it. I believe there is an appetite for change in this riding.”
That appetite was represented by the people who showed up at the meeting, he said, explaining, “There are people from the two local councils, both the Town and the MD, and people from agriculture – there is a wide cross-section of people here.”
He added he has been attending some of the town hall meetings the MD has been holding, gauging interest there as well.
“There are a fair number of people who are dissatisfied. Now how does that turn out? We'll have to see down the road.”
